The Shinra Academy
by CherryCameo
Summary: For Reno, fastest kid the sector five slums, breaking into the upper plate's most exclusive high school on a dare seemed simple. Get in, run circles around the rich boys on the athletic track, get out - easy, right? When a bit of fun turns into a scholarship offer Reno must leave behind the world he knows, trading life on the streets for boarding school. And then there's Rufus...
1. Chapter 1: The Race

"Look at them!" Jai scoffed. "Bunch of pussies. They can't run for shit!"

Reno looked out from his perch in the tree, only half interested. "Blond kid's not bad," he pronounced, ignoring the fact that the 'kid' was about his own age. "I could take him though."

"Yeah?"

Reno shaded his eyes against the sun and watched the sons of Midgar high society running back and forth across the sports field. Clad in identical Shinra Red shorts and white t-shirts, the pupils of the exclusive Shinra Academy presented a strange spectacle to the two underplaters in the tree. The blond boy was the fastest by some way, but he hadn't learned to run in the Sector Five slums where escaping a pursuer quickly could make the difference between living to re-commit whatever crime you were being chased for, and - not.

"Yeah," said Reno, after due consideration. "He's good, but I'm better. They're gonna race around that track in a minute – like on TV. We'll count to time how long it takes, and when they've gone in I'll do it faster."

Jai's freckled nose wrinkled. "Nah. Dare you to do it now – when they do. Once around, and then back under the fence."

"They'll send someone after me."

"So? If you're as good as you reckon, they'll never catch you. You're the fastest runner in Five – everyone says so."

"And what're you gonna do?"

"Watch. Time you. I'll stay here until they go in, and catch up with you later. If they close up the hole in the fence, I got the wire cutters, don't I? C'mon, Reno. They're getting' set up. Look – if you sneak up behind the stand you can jump out and join in from the start almost."

"They'll have a head start…"

Jai grinned, seeing how much his friend was tempted by the idea of racing the richest kids in Midgar. "Yeah – but you're faster, ain't ya? So you can catch 'em."

"Okay!" Reno decided, pulling off his stolen boots and handing them to Jai. "You hang on to these then. Can't run too fast in those fuckers, flash as they are. Don't lose 'em. They cost three hundred and fifty gil. Or – you know – would've. And if I do it, you owe me noodles from Ella's – deal?"

"Deal. Go!"

Reno slipped silently down from the tree and ran swiftly across the open grass to the sports stand. Jai watched as Reno made his way quickly along the back of the stand and halted, peering around the corner at the line of boys who were on their marks, waiting for the race to start.

From his vantage point Reno could see the blond kid crouched in his lane, a look of intense concentration on his face.

The crack of the pistol made Reno jump, but he reacted immediately, slipping out of the shadow of the stand and running onto the track just behind the blond kid who glanced at him over his shoulder then did an outraged double take as he saw the outlandish figure trying to come level with him. Reno grinned at him as he drew alongside, and the boy's jaw set. He picked up his pace and Reno had to exert himself more than he'd expected in order to overtake, passing Blondie with a cheerful wave. The other boys were already seconds behind. Reno flew around the track, his feet hot on the springy artificial surface. He was so caught up in the exhilaration of speed and competition that it wasn't until he rounded the last bend and was approaching the home straight that he realised people were shouting at him from near the school. Reno only ran faster. The blond kid was doing an impressive job of trying to keep up, but with every stride Reno increased his lead. A massive man in sports kit was jumping up and down at the finish line, shouting something, but Reno swerved past him grinning, punching the air in victory. His expression froze seconds later when he heard the chilling baying of dogs, and he began to run in earnest.

The hole in the wire fence surrounding the school was hidden by a patch of scrubby bushes. The quickest route to escape passed directly under the tree in which Jai was concealed and Reno knew that if the dogs passed that close they'd scent his friend, so he took off at an angle, only turning towards the gap in the fence once he was well clear of Jai's precarious hiding place.

The detour cost him precious seconds, but he thought he'd be able to make it. He couldn't really believe that a school would employ the kind of security willing to set dogs on a kid, but he wasn't about to take that chance. Diving into the bushes at the edge of the sports field, Reno found the gap in the fence and began to wriggle through on his belly, agile as an eel. He was almost through – almost –

Reno yelped as pain needled through his right ankle. His first thought was that he'd caught himself on the wire, but when he turned he found himself staring straight into the yellow eyes of a monstrous black-furred animal whose teeth were clamped onto his leg. Two men in dark blue uniforms grabbed Reno's uninjured leg and pulled him backwards through the fence, all his attempts to struggle futile, his fingers scrabbling at dirt and long grasses in vain. Only once he was back inside the fence, one of the guards positioned between Reno and freedom, did the other one order, "Leave!" and the creature released its grip.

Struggling to his feet, Reno bent to examine his mauled ankle. Blood was running freely over his dusty bare foot, but when he pulled up the leg of his jeans he was relieved to see that the two puncture wounds left by the creature's teeth weren't as deep as he'd feared. A grey-haired, grey-suited man came rushing up, followed by two teachers in sports kit and the boys who had been involved in the race. The blond boy stood at the front of the group of pupils, regarding Reno curiously.

Reno played to his audience, speaking deliberately loudly, putting on a distracting show in the hope that no one would think to wonder whether he was alone. Gesturing dramatically to his leg and his ruined jeans, Reno took a deep breath to control the pain he refused to acknowledge. He focussed on the holes in his jeans – which he minded more than the ones in his leg - and said, in his best outraged tone, "Overkill, much?"

"What are you doing here?" the grey man asked.

"Nothin'," Reno said, truthfully. "Hangin', yo."

"What? Speak properly, boy! Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in – trespassing on Shinra property, threatening my pupils –"

"Whoa, whoa – backtrack, yo!" Reno interrupted, alarmed. "I never threatened no one! It was just a fuckin' _race_, yo!"

One or two of the boys murmured and smirked at the swear word, but the blond boy watched impassively.

"Thought I was faster," Reno added, unable to hide his pride in the achievement, "an' I _was_ faster! Man, I could out run a friggin' SOLDIER! I am the shit, and ya know it, yo, so maybe Shinra ain't all that like you Upsiders reckon, yo."

"For heaven's sake stop saying 'yo' in that infantile fashion and attempt to speak like a rational human being," the man responded, clearly unimpressed by Reno's prowess at either running or communication. "I'll give you one more chance to answer the question, before I ask security to take you to Shinra headquarters where the Turks might be able to get some sense out of you."

"Yeah, no need for that," muttered Reno, effectively doused. "What was the question?"

"What were you _doing_ here?" the man sighed.

"I told you – nothing'," Reno said. "I come up here sometimes – for the sun."

"The sun?"

"Yeah. Days the sun's out. There's the grass – all green an' shi – uh – green. It's – nice." Reno stared hard at a boy who sniggered, until the kid dropped his gaze.

"And how do you get here?" Reno's inquisitor persisted.

On the train," Reno lied. "If you keep movin' you can get around security. I jus' come up here and lie in the sun sometimes. That ain't a crime, is it?"

"No – but theft is."

"What? I ain't no thief!" lied Reno again, all bristling indignation.

"Then how ever did you afford those jeans, which I know to my cost, since my sons insist on the brand, are two hundred gil a pair?"

"My mom worked extra shifts in the factory for ten weeks to get me these!" Reno improvised. "For my birthday. Best present ever – and look what your dog done!"

"_Did_," corrected the suit, impervious to Reno's sob story. "I thought Shinra funded schools in the slums. But I suppose you're too busy tricking your way up here and lounging about in the sun to bother with anything as trivial as education."

"Only done it a few times," Reno said. "I go to school, mostly. What's it to you anyway? You don't care about _my_ education."

"Actually I care about education in general, which is why I became a teacher and then headmaster of this school. But we're getting away from the point. Even if I choose to believe your story, the fact is you've trespassed on Shinra property and caused a security breech." He looked towards the two guards. "Escort him to my office. And ask matron to look at his leg on the way."

Before the guards could reply the blond boy stepped forward. "Sir, may I ask him a question?"

"Certainly."

The boy approached Reno, but both guards closed in, one of them laying a restraining hand on Reno's shoulder. The blond boy stopped a few feet from Reno and looked at him out of intensely blue eyes. "Why did you do that?" he asked in a cool tone that suggested he was used to having his questions answered. "Why race? You could have stayed out of sight."

Reno stared back, unabashed. "Wanted to see if I could beat you. Thought I could – wanted to know for sure."

"You wanted to beat _me_ - in particular?"

"Well, yeah. You're the fastest."

The blond boy's expression became subtly less hostile. "_That's_ why?"

"Yeah. Why else?" Reno's eyes narrowed. "What am I missin'?"

The headmaster asked, "Do you know who this is?"

Reno shrugged. "Some rich kid. How should I know? He can run. Not as good as me, but he ain't bad."

" 'As _well_ as me'. '_Isn't _bad'," the head corrected automatically.

"He doesn't know who I am," the blond boy said. "I think he's telling the truth – about coming here for the sun, anyway. Probably not about the theft."

"Who are ya, then?" Reno asked, a little unsettled that the boy was so on the money. "What's so friggin' important about you?"

No one answered him.

"Take him inside," the head told the guards. "Sweep the perimeter, just to be sure, but I agree with – I agree that he's probably telling the truth."

"Yeah – but – who _are_ you?" Reno called to the boy over his shoulder as the guards led him away. The boy made no reply.

X

The students were left standing on the field after the slum boy was dragged off. It seemed field practice was over for the day. As they made their way back towards the building the whir of helicopter blades cut through the silence. The boys stepped back, the wind blowing back their hair. As soon as the chopper was on the ground a young Wutaian man in a black suit jumped down and jogged towards the blond boy.

The other students stared, whispering to one another. Some were simply excited that something interesting was happening, others were speculating whether or not the Turks were going to arrest the redhead or kill him. There were plenty of rumors about the Turks.

The Turk came to a stop in front of the blond boy.

"Are you all right, sir?" he asked.

"I'm fine, nothing happened," he said. Everyone was watching them now, so much for feeling normal. "You're embarrassing me." The boy complained in a hissed whisper.

If the Turk cared about his charge's discomfort he did not show it. Instead he addressed himself to headmaster. "Tseng of the Turks," he introduced himself. "Our department will require a full report on today's security breach as soon as possible. I'm taking Rufus Shinra home until we determine the location is secure."

"What?" cried Rufus. Next week was spring break and he hadn't intended to go home for the holiday. However, he wasn't going to argue with Tseng about it here in front of everyone like a child whining at their babysitter. his couldn't get more embarrassing. Rufus pushed back his hair. "Well then," he said, "I suppose my break starts early, have a nice break everyone." He waved and started towards the helicopter as though leaving had been his idea in the first place.

Once they were on board Tseng asked him what exactly happened. Rufus told him about the boy. "I've never seen anyone run so fast. He would have gotten away if they hadn't set the hounds on him, but really I think he's harmless. Well, not a threat to me at least. What's going to happen to him?"

X

The school matron was a vigorous young woman who tutted over the wounds on Reno's leg, washed and bound his ankle, and obstinately refused to answer any questions.

She shook her head, smiling, as he asked for the umpteenth time, "So – you know a blond kid – good runner – about thirteen or fourteen?"

"Didn't anyone ever tell you what curiosity did to the cat?"

Reno made a face. "Yeah. My mom says if I don't die in jail I'm gonna die from stickin' my nose in where it's not wanted. But she ain't hardly never sober, so who gives a fuck what she thinks, yeah?"

"Now – I'm just going to give you a tetanus shot," the matron said, turning to a wooden cabinet and taking something out.

Reno jumped up from his chair and backed towards the door. Unfortunately that was blocked by one of the hulking security guards who had adamantly refused to leave him alone with the matron.

"Don't come near me with none of that Shinra shit!" Reno cried, really frightened for the first time that day. "I've heard the stories, yo! Ain't no one stickin' no needles in me! I don't wanna wake up in some lab somewhere!"

"If I wanted to harm you I'd hardly waste my time cleaning your ankle, would I?" the matron said calmly. "This is the same shot you probably had at school when you were five. It's to stop you getting an infection from those bites. Guard hounds probably carry all sorts of bugs."

"I'll take my chances."

"I'm sorry. I'd be neglecting my duty if I let you leave without the shot." She signalled to the guard who grabbed Reno's upper arms before he could get away. Reno cursed and struggled for all he was worth, but the matron jabbed the needle into his arm close to where the guard was holding it.

"This is assault!" Reno yelled, rubbing his arm furiously as soon as the guard released him. "You can't jus' go around stabbing people with needles, yo! What's gonna happen to me?"

"Nothing. You're protected against tetanus. That's it." Matron looked wearily at the guard. "You can take him to see the headmaster now."

Reno kept his head up and his jaw set as he was marched along wide corridors panelled in dark wood and floored with some kind of shiny white stone. His defiance was mostly an act now and he had to fight not to cry. He wasn't scared of much – authority figures didn't cow him – but the rumours circulating in the slums about people who disappeared off the streets under the plate, and the things that happened to them afterwards on certain floors of the Shinra building, were enough to give the bravest child nightmares. He only hoped that Jai had managed to get away.

Despite Reno's fears, it seemed that the matron had been telling the truth. He was only detained in the head's office until he finally gave his real name and address. The security guard made a phone call, and a few minutes later the head received a call on his desk phone. As he listened to whoever was speaking at the end of the line, his eyes flicked to Reno, then away, then back again. Reno strained to hear the other side of the conversation, but the voice was too faint. "Yes – well he certainly has some athletic ability," the head said. "All right, but only on condition that everything else is at least in line with expectations… Yes – well, I always did enjoy a challenge…. Thank you. Goodbye."

The head looked up at Reno. "All right – you can go. I wouldn't recommend coming back up here again. This school is private property, so unless we see you here as a pupil in the future –"

Reno snorted. "Yeah, 'cause that's happenin', yo!"

"Stranger things have happened," the head observed mildly, although Reno noticed that his left eye twitched at the 'yo'. "Mr. Downs here will escort you to the gates. Goodbye, Reno."

"See ya, yo!" Reno said, with a cheerful wave. He was almost sure now that no one was about to kidnap him for sinister experiments, but he wouldn't relax until he was safely back under the plate with Jai. The guard, Downs, took him to the huge wrought iron gates of the school, which opened silently at their approach. "Cool," said Reno. "They electric?"

Mr. Downs seemed disinclined to comment. Once Reno was outside the school boundary, Downs growled, "Don't come back."

"Have a nice day, yo!" Reno yelled as Downs turned away. Reno sauntered along the street – a tree-lined boulevard he'd never seen before in his excursions above the plate – until he'd rounded a corner and was out of sight of the school, whereupon he fled as fast as his damaged ankle would carry him, using the far-off Shinra tower as a landmark to navigate his way back to a drain in a dead-end alley by a little Sector One theatre.

Looking around carefully to make sure he hadn't been followed, Reno lifted the drain cover and slipped down into the sewers, which would take him to an abandoned kamira bug nest where the bugs had dug down through the plate itself, their corrosive faeces destroying the metal. The underside of the plate looked relatively featureless from the ground, but in places it was actually a tangle of pipes and struts, to one of which Reno and Jai had managed to attach a rope they'd found by chance while exploring the under-plate sewers. Reno descended the rope with a speed that would have impressed the strictest gym teacher at the Shinra Academy, leapt down onto the roof of the tallest building in Under One, through the jimmied fire door, and down the concrete stairs to street level. Once on the Under ground, it was a long run back to Five and the den in the outer wall that he and Jai kept secret from everyone else. To Reno's utter relief, Jai had been there. Reno's boots were tucked into the hiding place. Replacing the boots with two small stones – the 'okay' signal – Reno repositioned the loose brick to conceal the hidey hole, pulled on his boots, and made his way home, whistling.

When he got home, he found his mom was still snoring on the couch. She opened her eyes briefly when he came in, but she was too out of it to ask, or to care, where he'd been.


	2. Chapter 2: News

After the incident, it had seemed all the school could talk about was the red haired boy who'd broken into school grounds just to race Rufus Shinra.

'What was he trying to prove?"

"I don't think he was trying to prove anything; he didn't even know it was Rufus Shinra he was racing."

"How can you not know who Rufus Shinra is? Is he stupid?"

"Of course he's stupid, he's from the slums. They don't know anything down there. You know they eat rats, right?"

"Rat eater or not, he beat Rufus."

And so the gossip went, along with other things. Word was even the girls' school was talking about it, many of the ladies lamenting that they hadn't been there to see it and asking if Reno was cute.

"They say he wears stolen clothes, I bet he's a bad boy. Maybe he smokes cigarettes and rides a motorcycle."

"Motorcycle gangs are up-plate, I don't even think they have roads in the slums."

"I love guys with bikes, bad boys are so sexy."

"Do you think he wears leather, like a stolen leather jacket? That would be hot."

"Or leather trousers! I bet he has a cute-"

"I bet he's super athletic - after all he did beat Rufus Shinra."

The school's gossip regularly spread across both campuses; the incident in question seemed to be the first time in recent memory that anything legitimately exciting had happened. For his part, Rufus was getting very tired of hearing about being "beaten".

"I don't see what the big deal is," he said. "I'm sure there are plenty of people faster than I am. Nor do I intend to have a career in track and field." Pretending not to care and giving as little energy to the situation as possible seemed the best strategy.

Rufus had taken a seat at an empty table, and had been joined by three other boys, Sinclair Tudor-Whittington, a dark-haired, dark-eyed pretty boy who had delusions of mattering, and his two lackeys Victor Percy and Morgan Cecil. Victor and Morgan were first cousins who shared family ties to old money that gave them the same delusions as Sinny, although their families actually did something and they realized that their best bet was to get in with someone who actually mattered. Unfortunately Rufus had no use for them, and so they followed Sinclair as if they were paid to flank him.

As soon as they'd sat down, Sinclair had started on about the race, and Rufus's best efforts to be dismissive of the whole thing did little to end the topic.

"You're still one of the fastest in the school," said Morgan. "And he beat you by a lot."

"And he's just a slum-kid, hasn't trained at all. Unless you count running from the authorities as training," joked Victor.

"He's a talented runner, slum or not," Rufus conceded. "The fact he's fast even without training is admirable." Rufus had often chatted with the Turks and over time had learned they came from all walks of life, with very few from the sort of background you could call privileged. Rufus was of the opinion that rich or poor, slum or plate, Wutaian descent or native, people ought to be judged according to their talent and that talent should be appreciated.

Rufus really didn't care that other people were more talented than him at running. He had his own natural talents, like music, and worked to the best in subjects that actually mattered. Rufus had no idea why he should feel especially embarrassed for being beaten by a slum kid.

"Oh you're defending the rat-eater now?" asked Sinclair. "What, is he your boyfriend?"

Rufus rolled his eyes. "Oh my, what a clever retort - so original. Did they teach you that in debate? How about this, I'll give you my PHS number and you can call me when you think of an intelligent counter point."

Rufus Shinra was very good at appearing untouchable, as if nothing could make him bleed or cry. Nothing seemed to bother Rufus, not in a cheerful easy-going way but in a 'so above everything' sort of way. He would not rise to taunts, especially ones that hit closer to home than anyone knew. The first rule was never show weakness. As much as he'd have loved to tell Sinclair to fuck off he couldn't let anyone think they'd gotten under his skin.

In truth, Rufus was bothered that the boy had beaten him, not because the boy was under plate but because Rufus didn't like being beaten at anything. While he acknowledged Reno's talent and that running really shouldn't matter, he hated losing. He hated being seen as a loser. Even Rufus's father, in the midst of ranting about the security breach, had taken the time to reprimand his son.

The afternoon following the incident, Rufus had been called into President Shinra's office. When he arrived Veld and Tseng were already there.

"Ah Rufus, there you are," said his father. "Veld's just finished briefing me on the incident at your school today: unforgivable security breach. What kind of incompetents is that school hiring? I ought to cut their funding and pull you out."

Rufus thought that if the school were in any way subpar increasing funding would be a better solution than cutting it, but held his tongue on that point. "Well, I am fourteen. Perhaps I could begin an apprenticeship here rather than completing formal schooling? I want to know the company inside out if I'm to run it someday."

"That is still an if," said the President. "Don't assume you're going to inherit everything. Even if you do succeed me, it won't be for a very long time. No need to rush. You'll finish your schooling. The question is whether it will be here or another school. There's a highly recommended one up near Icicle."

Rufus, who had always been intolerant of cold and fond of layers and coats even in warmer climates, did his best not to bristle at the suggestion as his father continued, "Or Junon's Military Academy. Not that I'd let you see active service, but maybe they could whip you into shape. I can't believe you allowed some common guttersnipe beat you. You're a Shinra, Rufus, do you think it's acceptable for you to just be a loser? I expect you to be the best!"

"At running?" asked Rufus, laughing as though his father's words meant nothing to him, "Why would I need to be good at running when I'm capable of standing my ground? Surely you're not saying a Shinra should run away - which is exactly what I'd be doing if I switched schools?"

The President stared at his son, unable to form a retort. Out of the corner of his eyes Rufus thought he caught a ghost of a smile from Tseng. Rufus brushed his hair back, and continued. "However, I do agree that security should be overhauled and the lot of them fired. The only security member who performed well was the guard hound." Fortunately for the boy - a lesser dog might have torn his leg apart the minute it got hold of him. The ability to bite and hold was what distinguished an excellent security animal from a common junkyard dog.

"Indeed," said the President. "Veld, I'm going to recommend that the school replace its security personnel and I want you to personally oversee the replacement selection and make any recommendations you think necessary to improve the school's security. You're scheduled for vacation for the next two weeks? I want you to cancel your plans and make this a priority. I want this taken care of this without cutting into company time or resources."

Veld, who would typically comply without question, hesitated. "Sir, I've promised my daughter I'd-"

"Your daughter, how old is she?"

"Twelve, sir,"" said Veld.

"Ah, you've got years to spend time with her," said the President, "but the current matter is pressing. I'm trusting you with my son's safety. After you've sorted this out I'm sure we'll be able to reschedule your time off. She'll have other school holidays. You know, she could always transfer to the Academy herself; you'd be able to see her more often that way. I'm sure she's a bright girl."

Rufus never met Veld's daughter, Felicia, or if he had he didn't remember. Veld kept his family away from Shinra Company; his daughter lived with her mother in Kalm. Veld visited when he could, which wasn't often from what Rufus could gather. He wasn't surprised that his father didn't understand why spending time with Felicia would be important to Veld. Spending time Rufus had never seemed very important to the President.

Not that it mattered to Rufus. He didn't want to spend time with the President anyway. Besides, his school break was going to be busy with training. Rufus was sure he could increase his top time on the track with enough work. Perhaps he could get a treadmill.

Rufus didn't like losing, and he wasn't going to simply accept his defeat. Not that he'd get an opportunity for a rematch, unfortunately.

During spring break Rufus lived in the gym, in between studying. He'd learned at eleven that his father expected him to prioritize 'useful' pursuits that would make Rufus a worthy successor. The President certainly didn't care what Rufus enjoyed doing. They'd had a conversation about Rufus's preoccupation with music when Rufus finished primary school.

Rufus didn't understand how it was that his father could on the one hand forbid him to study music during secondary school so that he could devote himself to 'serious' pursuits but at the same time expect him to be the best at running. Rufus supposed that while sports were as useless as music when it came to running a business or ruling the world, being bad at sports meant weakness. Rufus's father could not tolerate weakness.

The worst part was, Rufus wasn't even bad at sports. He had the fastest time in his class! Did his father honestly expect him to better than absolutely everyone? Thankfully, by the time classes resumed the gossip had died down a little, although not entirely. Rufus was angry at the student body for being so stupid and angry at his father for a great many things, but he couldn't bring himself to be angry at the red haired boy who had raced him.

The boy who had no idea he was Rufus Shinra.

Rufus could not remember a time when he hadn't been aware that he was the President's son and what that meant. Everyone else knew too, which meant no one really saw him as simply Rufus. He was Rufus Shinra, heir to the most powerful man in the world. Some of his peers hated Rufus for his position, jealous that Rufus 'thought' he was important (personally, Rufus held that he didn't think anything on the matter); others tried to get close to him. He was the connection to make, even for children born well connected.

Because he was Rufus Shinra there were perfect strangers who would kill him if given the chance (the Turks insured they wouldn't get a chance). Because he was Rufus Shinra he could never know if anyone was telling the truth or lying to him (it seemed safer to assume most people were liars). Because he was Rufus Shinra he could never be a hundred percent certain if his teachers graded him fairly or if the other kids let him win at sports (though Rufus put enough work that he was reasonably certain he earned his own way). Because he was Rufus Shinra he'd never had anyone he considered a real friend (though he was fond of Tseng like a favored babysitter or even a brother and some of his peers at school really weren't all that bad, but how could he really let anyone close?)

The redhead had wanted to race him because he was the fastest. In that moment, at least to that kid, he hadn't been Rufus Shinra. He'd been a worthy opponent. Racing the boy had actually been fun. It was surprising and invigorating. The way the kid had smirked at him as he passed, egging him on. Rufus had wanted to show him.

Not that he'd stood a chance, but Rufus wasn't a sore loser. No, he'd wanted a rematch. Rufus had never had a real rival either. Of course, security had arrived and sicced the hounds on the boy. That really had been overkill. By the time security responded it was obvious the boy wasn't a threat. If he'd intended to hurt Rufus he could have done it by the time they responded.

Why had his father seemed more upset that he'd lost the race than relieved it hadn't been a real threat? If it had been an assassin instead of just some kid, then Rufus might have been hurt or even killed.

It didn't matter. Rufus had long ago given up on his father hugging him or pretending to care. It was just that sometimes it seemed the only thing his dad felt about Rufus was disappointment.

X

Just over a month later Reno was summoned to the head's office at his own school. For once, he had absolutely no idea what he'd done wrong. He hadn't been involved in a fight for weeks – not since before he'd been put into a new group with two girls and one other boy, where a teacher he didn't know had tried to convince him that taking endless tests for two weeks solid was some kind of privilege. He hadn't even given the teacher much grief, since the other pupils in the group weren't the kind you had to show your teeth to. Had some member of staff seen him sneaking into the boiler room for a quick smoke? They didn't normally bother to make a fuss about that kind of thing.

When he reached the office he found one of the girls from his group waiting outside. Wanda, was it? Wendy? He grinned at her. "'Sup? They caught you smokin' in the girls' bathroom?"

She gave him a disdainful look and tossed her beaded braids. "No. This is about the tests. How did you ever get into the selection process anyway? You don't know anything and you never do any work."

"How the hell would you know?" Reno asked, rather stung. "Anyway – what selection process?"

"For the scholarship! Not much chance, even for me. I saw Danny earlier – looked like he'd been crying, so I know he didn't get it. Don't know about Leanne."

"What scholarship?"

Wanda – or Wendy – looked at him and decided he was serious. "What d'you think we've been doing all those tests for?"

"Dunno. They said it was to stretch us. Sounded like torture at the time – didn't realise it would mean boring us to death."

"Oh my god! Didn't you even apply?"

"No – they just said I was in this group." An odd doubt was beginning to creep into Reno's mind, recalling the phone call he'd half listened in on in that posh-as-all-fuck school upside. "What's this scholarship?"

"The Shinra Academies on the plate offer a few scholarships every year so that slum kids like us can extend our education past fifteen. It's worth thousands – and the chance to get a job on the plate afterwards. I can't believe you didn't even know! Did you revise?"

"No – I –"

"Wanda – come in please," interrupted the head's secretary, appearing at the office door.

Wanda was gone a long time. Reno scuffed the heel of his trainers against the peeling lino floor, feeling duped and angry. What the hell? Even if by some almighty fluke he got a stupid scholarship he wouldn't be able to take it up. He'd be fifteen in three months, and his mother had already secured him a job in the electronics factory where she worked. Not that he wanted to endure those stifling, noisy, ten-hour shifts – but he had been looking forward to having enough money that some of those cute girls on his block might look at him twice. Anyway – what the hell would he do up on the plate, among those soft kids in their tragic uniforms - their fucking superior attitudes and their easy money? He'd shown he could beat that self-important blond kid who everyone seemed to think was so special. Surely that was enough?

Wanda came dancing out of the office, braids flying, gathered Reno into a hug, and kissed him on the lips. He wasn't objecting. He could feel her small breasts pressed firmly against his chest, and it was nice. Bit too nice… He stepped back before she felt something she probably wouldn't appreciate pressed against her -

"Y - you got it, then?" he asked, flustered. Luckily she was much too excited to notice.

"Yes! Yes! I don't believe it!"

"Congratulations."

"Thanks! Oh my god!" Wanda rushed off to tell her friends her good news, and Reno sighed with relief, both because she hadn't noticed his state, and because her success was certain to mean his own failure.

"Reno," said the head, appearing at the door. Her face broke into a broad smile she seemed unable to control. "I have some fantastic news for you!"

X

The end of the year came and went and Rufus received top marks. Summer holidays were passed with parties he was forced to attend, holidays he was forced to take and blissful moments of free time. Tseng often accompanied him, which was fine since the Turk was a good conversation partner, but more and more Rufus preferred the company of his computer. While Rufus's father did not appreciate his son's musical talent, computer skills had obvious applications. Rufus had taken a computer course his second year and had found he not only had a knack for code but a genuine enjoyment. All the better because computer classes weren't something his father would take away on a whim.

When he wasn't on his computer, Rufus was at the gym. Rufus wasn't sure why he continued to train. By the time classes resumed in the fall everyone would have forgotten about the race and it really didn't matter much to Rufus. All the same, Rufus set a regimen and stuck to it, as if that would somehow make up for the fact he'd been beaten.

Rufus told himself it didn't matter, even if everyone else seemed to think it did. Rufus told himself he'd never see the kid again, so it was best to forget about it. Rufus almost believed what he told himself.

X

All Reno's protests were ignored. The head had been ecstatic – Under Five School 22 had never had a single successful scholarship applicant in its history, and now – two in one year! Once the head had managed to explain the situation to Reno's mother, and assured her that everything, including meals and uniform, would be funded by the scholarship, she had been more relived than anything - especially when she heard that Reno wouldn't even have to come home in the school holidays. By the time he graduated, at seventeen, he'd be a legal adult, and off her hands. For the first time he could remember, she'd told Reno she was proud of him, given him an alcohol-tinged kiss, and asked one of the neighbours to take a photo of him in his uniform. Jai had been genuinely pleased for him, but sorry to see him go. "Don't get like them," he'd said. "Don't forget me and Under Five."

"I won't," Reno had promised. "Never."

Now Reno waited in a wood-panelled corridor in his uncomfortable uniform with its hideous dark red blazer that clashed with his hair, until a teacher appeared to collect him.

"Ah yes – Reno, isn't it?" said the man – a very tall, slightly stooped figure with a fringe of white hair, who looked more ancient to Reno's eyes than anyone he could remember seeing in the slums. "I'm Mr. Parsons – Ancient Languages. Do you have much Cetran?"

"Much Cetran what?" Reno asked.

"Do you read Cetran, boy?"

"Uh – _no_. Does anyone? I thought they were all dead?"

Mr. Parsons sighed wearily. "Well, well, never mind. You'll get used to us, as I'm sure… we will to you." Reno thought he'd never seen anyone looking less convinced of anything. "I will be your house master this year. Please, allow me to introduce you to the other boys in your form."

"And girls," said Reno quickly. "I mean – I don't mind meeting girls, yo!"

Mr. Parsons shook his head. "Oh dear, oh dear. Didn't anyone tell you? This is an all boys' school. The girls' academy – our sister establishment – is across the park."

"Oh," said Reno. "Right. Figures." Great. This was just getting better and better. Mr. Parsons opened the door and said, "4B – your new classmate. I trust you'll make him welcome."

Reno took a step into the oak-paneled room, and found himself looking straight into the blue eyes of the blond kid he'd beaten in the race.


	3. Chapter 3: Lessons

**3**

**Lessons**

The blond kid stared at him in shock, as though Reno were a rat that had just scurried out in his path.

"What are_ you_ doing here?" he asked, and before Reno could respond he continued, "How did you get in?"

Reno's impulse was to punch the superior smirk off the boy's pretty face, but that would only set him up as a thug, which was probably exactly what most of these pupils expected of him. Instead he grinned, and said, "Hey, Blondie. Y'know, I really ain't sure how I got in. Took a bunch of tests, and – here I am. Guess I must've learned more'n I thought, yo! How's the running comin' along?"

Reno kept eye contact with the blond kid until he'd finished speaking, then he looked at the other boys in the class, making eye contact with most of them, but moving on before any of them decided to make it a competition.

There seemed to be thirteen boys in the class, apart from him. He particularly noticed a pair of identical twins, a little freckled boy with a tangle of brown curls and a friendly face, and a tall, dark-eyed boy whose expression was openly hostile.

Reno looked at the blond kid again. Something in his attitude suggested that he was the natural leader of the whole group, and that the others would moderate their behaviour according to his. Reno was curious, and secretly a bit apprehensive, about how the boy would react.

Reno thought he saw a flash of anger in Blondie's blue eyes - the boy's fists clenched like there might be a fight after all - but wouldn't it be satisfying if little Mr. rich boy threw the first punch? Reno braced himself, ready for the blow, but then the boy chuckled and gave a good-natured smile. "Tested in? Tch, well hopefully your Cetran grammar isn't as poor as your Eastern or you won't last long. Try not to flunk out too soon; if you're here long enough for the House games we could have a rematch. Speaking of running, how's it going for you? Learned to outrun dogs yet, Red?"

A tall, dark-haired boy rose from his seat and approached Reno, but he addressed himself to the blond kid as if Reno wasn't even there.

"I doubt you'll get your opportunity to lose _again_," he sneered. The way he looked at Blondie made it clear they weren't exactly friends either, "we all know he shouldn't have been admitted in the first place, except as a janitor maybe. Not sure though, I don't even think he's good enough to clean my toilet."

Although he was new to the Shinra Academy, Reno had become practised at switching schools as his mother moved around the sector slums looking for work, but he'd never before encountered hostility based purely on his status as an underplater. He itched to attack - he knew he was a good fighter, and was willing to bet that this superior sarcastic bastard wasn't used to getting his hands dirty - but at the same time he didn't want to confirm the boy's prejudices, or to get himself expelled within ten minutes of arriving at the school, so he contented himself with glaring fiercely while he waited to see what Blondie's reply would be.

If Reno was like a Kalm Wolf trying to establish himself in a new pack by challenging the presumed Alpha, then Sinclair was the would-be top dog who couldn't pass off a chance to show his superiority by attacking. Rufus cringed, he hadn't meant for everyone to gang up on the new boy. Honestly, he hadn't meant to start anything. The redhead was the one who'd started it!

Rufus had actually been somewhat pleased to see the boy. It meant that he might get his rematch after all. It was like a dream come true, walking in to find his lost rival waiting for him. All the time he'd spent training over the summer break wouldn't be for nothing.

Maybe asking what he was doing here had been stupid. Rufus knew about the scholarship of course, his own mother had helped establish it and it currently bore her name as a memorial, but that was only for the best students. The boy didn't exactly seem like a scholar; he skipped school and didn't even speak properly.

Rufus was pretty sure the red-head had lied when he said he'd come to the Plate on the train. Unlike the school, Midgar's public transportation system had competent security, or at least that was what Tseng had said when Rufus asked him whether the boy's story could be true. So could a kid who climbed up the Plate just to lie in the sun, and broke into private schools on a whim, really have the self-discipline needed to give up hours of his life to study for a scholarship exam?

Apparently so, from what he'd said - and that meant he was smart. The stunt he'd pulled at the race hadn't been stupidity but daring, and that made him all the more interesting. Unfortunately, it seemed he was also a complete asshole, speaking to Rufus in that completely uncalled for way. What had Rufus ever done to him? Looking in the redhead's eyes, Rufus had seen an intense dislike behind the fake grin. The boy's mocking fake cheerfulness and rubbing Rufus's nose in his defeat was like a middle finger, and Rufus wasn't going to let that stand. He didn't understand why the boy wanted to make an enemy of him, but if that was how he wanted it, then fine.

He'd returned vitriol with vitriol, unwilling to let the boy have the last word. Then Sinclair had to butt in and half the class was laughing. This had gone much further than Rufus had intended. Two students in particular, Victor and Morgan, Sinclair's little henchmen, laughed louder than the rest and made a point of high fiving each other, grinning all the while.

At least not everyone was laughing. A few of the boys looked as uncomfortable about Sinclair ganging up on the new boy as Rufus felt, the Domino twins among them. Sacha was looking to Seb, silently asking if they should speak up.

Rufus had some choice words for Sinclair, but before he could speak up Raphael Grey came to Reno's defense. "At least he earned his way in, unlike some people."

"Like you?" asked Sinclair, "Daddy's boy?"

While it was true Raph wouldn't have been admitted if his father weren't the headmaster, Rufus knew he worked to earn his grades and was well above Sinclair academically.

"Said the Pot to the Kettle," remarked Cassian Vaughn, adjusting his glasses. "We all know your father donated a substantial amount right before you were admitted. How convenient. Now sit down, the teacher's coming." Cass gave Raph a reassuring smile and put a hand on his shoulder.

Sinclair retreated to his spot in between his lackeys. Rufus turned and took a seat in the desk next to Sacha. Of all his classmates, Rufus liked Sacha's group best. The group was composed of Sacha and his twin brother Sebastian, old name and new money Tristan Howard, and Mani Palmer, a none-too-bright friendly sort who, rumour had it, might be Director Palmer's bastard son - but who gave an illegitimate kid their own name and then kept it a secret? While Rufus didn't believe in friendship per se, this group was more tolerable to be around, though he was careful to keep his distance. Getting attached to people would only lead to the trouble.

It was dangerous to care too much. Emotions created vulnerabilities. Rufus was perfectly content not to care about anyone at school. But then... why did he feel so bothered by the new kid?

X

Reno looked for a place to sit and saw a cherry round-faced kid in the back row waving and motioning him over.

"Sorry about Sinclair," he whispered. "Welcome to the Academy. My name's Mani, you're in House Chocobo same as me and I'm glad to have you. Maybe with you on the team we'll have a shot at the House Cup this year."

It was immediately obvious to Reno that Mani was not high in the class pecking order, but he was smarting somewhat from Blondie's attack, and at least this boy seemed friendly. Sliding into the place next to him, Reno leaned one elbow on the back of the uncomfortable wooden seat which seemed to be attached to the desk, and pretended to stretch in a casual fashion, not lowering his voice as he said, "Yeah – cheers. Got any smokes?"

"Oh – uh – no, sorry," stammered the boy, turning rather red. "It's not allowed," he whispered, as a middle-aged, sharp-featured teacher with deep-set, penetrating eyes opened the door and strode to the raised desk at the front of the classroom. Reno raised a disbelieving eyebrow at the boy beside him – since when did 'being allowed' have a bearing on what school pupils actually _did_? – but the boy was on his feet, along with all the others. Reno glanced behind him, and – yes – even that Sinclair bastard was virtually standing to attention like some kinda frigging soldier on parade.

The teacher cleared his throat in a pointed fashion, and Reno stood up slowly, jamming both hands into the pockets of his unbuttoned blazer.

"Thank you _so_ much for the privilege of your attention," said the teacher with ponderous sarcasm. "I have the misfortune to recognize the rest of these reprobates from the tri-weekly grind of last year's lessons, but I don't believe I've had the pleasure of _your_ company before."

"You can't expect manners from _him_, Sir," Sinclair called from the back of the class. "They don't breed it into them under the plate."

Reno turned and glared at Sinclair, who was looking disproportionately pleased with himself.

"Your input will not be necessary, thank you all the same, Sinclair." The teacher turned his attention back to Reno. "You must be Reno Flynn. Mani, he's in your house I believe?"

The boy next to Reno stood up even taller. "Yes, Sir!"

"Good. Well, after class, you may instruct him in our venerable customs – rules, regulations and so on. Mr. Flynn, I seem to recall that your test scores – in my subject at least - were not unpromising. I am Dr. Counts, head of Mathematics, and I am perfectly well acquainted with the coincidental relationship between my name and my subject, so comment on the matter is unnecessary.".

Taking two books from separate piles on a tall bookcase behind him, Dr. Counts placed them on Reno's desk. "One exercise book. Write upon it your name, my name, 4B, Mathematics, and absolutely nothing else. One textbook, not to be defaced. If you have any questions, please raise your hand. Calling out will not be tolerated. Class – be seated. Turn to page two hundred and forty-two, and endeavour to complete the exercises by the end of the lesson."

Reno sat with the others, and opened his textbook with the others. He had never been in a class like this before – everyone worked in complete silence, while the teacher corrected a set of books belonging to another class at his desk at the front of the room. To Reno's relief the questions made sense to him and weren't as difficult as he'd feared. He kept his head down and worked most of the time, trying not to dwell on Sinclair's stupid comments and the blond kid's aggression. Seemed like Blondie had really _minded_ being beaten in that race. The comment about not being able to outrun dogs niggled Reno the most. He was dying to tell the stuck-up rich kid that he would have escaped no problem if he hadn't had to make that detour to avoid the tree – but he couldn't do that without letting everyone know that someone else had been there, and he'd rather face any amount of taunting than land Jai in danger. Maybe he should've just punched the kid after all?

So – Blondie, Sinclair, Sinclair's two little followers - those were enemies. The tall dark one with the glasses, and his friend the headmaster's son – they seemed okay. Mani was friendly, but could just be desperate for a friend – Reno wasn't sure yet. Not a great start. What had he done to piss off that blond kid so much anyway, apart from beating him in the race? All that stuff about flunking out, and the bullshit about his grammar…

Reno gritted his teeth and focused on maths. The blond kid had already revealed one weakness: he couldn't stand to come second. "Right," Reno thought, making himself concentrate, "let's see what else I can beat you at, Blondie."

Reno looked up, surprised, when the bell rang to signal the end of the lesson. Working in silence made it surprisingly easy to focus on the task at hand. He'd finished the exercises with some time to spare, and there were only a couple of questions he wasn't confident about.

A boy Reno already recognised as one of the twins – slender, dark-haired, rather serious-looking – collected in all the exercise books and placed them on the teacher's desk. Dr. Counts stood, and all the boys followed suit.

"As ever, I await with bated breath the unbounded joy that is marking your work," Dr. Counts sighed, gathering up the books and walking to the door. "Sebastian, if you would be so good?" The twin who had collected the books opened the door for Dr. Counts. As soon as he had gone, Mani sagged in his chair and turned to grin at Reno. "That's over! I bet I got most of them wrong. You finished didn't you? You must be good."

Reno shrugged. "It was okay."

"I suppose you need to be good at numbers in the slums," Sinclair drawled. "How does it go? Rat plus rat plus rat equals… a three course dinner?" Sinclair's friends chortled, and Reno smiled, getting to his feet and stepping away from the desk. He'd been itching to hit someone ever since Blondie had demanded to know in that imperious voice how someone like him had ever managed to get into a school like this, and Sinclair was just plain begging for it now. Reno was already sick of this school, its sarcastic staff and stuck-up students. No education was worth this shit. They wanted slum – they'd get slum.

"Yeah?" Reno snarled, flexing his fingers, before clenching both hands into fists. "C'mon then, fucker. You been up in my face since I got here, so c'mon. What the fuck are you waitin' for?"

Reno took a step forward and Sinclair blinked. Reno saw a flash of fear in his blue eyes, before he turned to one of his followers - a bored-looking boy with longish light brown hair – and said, "barbari eruperant, don't you think, Morgan?"

Morgan laughed, along with one or two of the others.

"You're all barbarians, as far as I'm concerned," said a voice behind Reno. "And since it's my unfortunate duty to attempt to civilize you, I would appreciate it if we could get on with the lesson." The boys instantly got to their feet. Reno turned, and saw Mr. Parsons – the Ancient languages teacher who had introduced himself as Reno's house master, whatever that was – standing at the desk.

Reno considered ignoring him and punching Sinclair anyway, but the distraction gave him time to consider, and he decided against it. Sinclair would keep.

Mr. Parsons handed him a small, brightly coloured book, and said, "Reno, this class won't make a lot of sense to you, I'm afraid, since you've never studied Cetran. Read this, and see what you make of it. The rest of you, chapter twelve in your primers, if you would be so good. We'll start with a little basic revision, since I know how Cetran has an unfortunate habit of draining out of your tiny minds in the summer holidays, like water through a sieve."

Reno flicked through the book, which was obviously intended for children of about six. It seemed to be about some boring dude in a long dress who had a vast number of rooms in his house and seemed determined to tell Reno about all of them in Cetran. Since Reno had never lived anywhere that had more than three rooms altogether, he didn't even know what most of them would be called in Eastern, never mind Cetran.

Not for the first time that day, Reno wondered what the hell he was doing in this school. It was obvious that most of the students hated him, and he felt the same about them. But what was the alternative? If he got himself expelled and ended up in the Shinra-run factory below the plate he'd be earning little more than a living wage. The phones and computers made in the factory would end up being sold to rich kids like the ones in this classroom, who would never give a thought to the underplaters who'd made them. Jai had started at the factory the day after his fifteenth birthday, and Reno would be fifteen in two weeks. But he couldn't back down when boys like Blondie and Sinclair challenged him. If he didn't have his pride, what did he have?

When he'd read through the book three times, he put up his hand.

"Yes, Reno?" Parsons asked.

"Read it."

"Excellent. Speaking Cetran already. 'Reddit' – any one? Cassian?"

"_Renders_," said Cassian. "Or, _it brings back, _or_ gives up_."

"Yes, indeed. I'm glad to see you haven't all forgotten everything over the summer." Parsons put another book on Reno's desk. This time the same guy in a dress wanted to introduce Reno to every single member of his family, including the servants and the dog. Reno bit his fingernails and stared up at the wooden beams of the ceiling. He really wanted a smoke. If he'd ever been more bored he couldn't remember when. There weren't even any girls to look at. He perked up for a moment when one of the boys said something about ammo, but it turned out to be some Cetran word that had nothing to do with anything interesting.

The next thing he knew was Mani nudging him awake, as the boys stood for the end of the lesson. When Mr. Parsons had gone, Mani said, "Good job you don't snore!"

"Thanks," Reno said. "Is it always this boring?"

"Cetran is," Mani nodded. "I failed it last year. It's break now – I'll show you the tuck shop and the dorms."

Reno looked around to check what Sinclair was up to, but he and his two flunkies had already gone. "Okay," he said to Mani. "Thanks."

"Wait up - I'm coming, too," called Sebastian. Reno was a little alarmed when the other twin and Blondie followed them out of the classroom and into the corridor.

X

Rufus watched Reno go, torn between the temptation to walk away and do his best to ignore the newcomer's existence and a desire to say something about what had almost happened before Cetran class. Sinclair just couldn't help mouthing off again. Rufus had shot a glare at Sinclair's friends; it wasn't funny, it was unprovoked and not the least bit witty. Rufus had actually grinned when Reno issued his challenge and fear crept into Sinclair's eyes. A little fear was just what Sinclair needed and a broken nose wouldn't come amiss either.

But then Reno would get in trouble, and Sinclair would go crying to his father demanding Reno be expelled. Rufus couldn't have that; he needed Reno around so he could beat him! Rufus had gotten to his feet, about to issue his own challenge. He'd be glad to punch Sinclair himself, and he'd like to see Sinclair's useless blue blood old man try to complain to the school or President Shinra. If anything, Sinclair's dad would probably order Sinclair to come groveling with an apology for provoking Rufus.

It hadn't come to that, thanks to Mr. Parsons timely arrival, but Rufus knew Sinclair wasn't likely to let up on Reno. Next time it threatened to come to blows a teacher might not be there to stop it and Rufus might not be there to step in on Reno's behalf.

Rufus followed Reno, not hurrying to catch up, just casually going in the same direction. He wasn't exactly going out of his way to warn Reno. No, he wouldn't lie to himself, he was willing to go out of his way for the boy. A boy whom he should be glad to see expelled given how much trouble he'd caused from the start.

First the race, then mouthing off this morning. Rufus had been so annoyed about that he could barely focus during Maths because all he could think about was what had just happened. Rufus really should have been the one to tell off Sinclair. After all, it wasn't that Rufus disliked the redhead per se, and what Sinclair had done was uncalled for and rude. Of course, Rufus himself hadn't exactly been friendly, but redhead had mocked him first. Really what was his problem?

Rufus had been so preoccupied that he barely had time to finish the last question before the bell rang! Maths usually came so easily to Rufus. Some things were as natural as breathing; music had been, and now computers; Rufus knew he should have easily finished the problems with time to spare to look over them. As it was he doubted he'd done well. Why was that boy so distracting?

Even worse, Mr. Counts mentioned Reno was good at Maths, so now he'd let the boy beat him at something else! Well not again. From this moment on he was stepping up his game. However, he couldn't win if Reno was expelled for fighting. No, Rufus had make sure Reno survived at this school long enough to suffer a humiliating defeat!

Right then, thought Rufus, might as well attempt civility and a word of advice lest he lose his new rival. "Hey, Red," he said when he caught the boy glancing at him. "If I were you I'd do my best to ignore Sinclair. He's not worth it. He's just trying to get a rise out of you, and I don't want him to get what he wants. I also need you to be here long enough for a rematch, so please don't get expelled," he said, completely sincere and maybe a little charming. The redhead wouldn't hold a grudge over a little teasing, would he? They could be sportsmanlike about this, couldn't they?

Behind him Rufus heard Sinclair snicker. "Awe, so you two are in love! How sweet!"

Rufus turned to face him. "Sinclair, glad you're still here, I had hoped I'd get the chance to tell you, you really should stop attempting to be witty. You lack the requisite capacity and it's so pathetic it's almost painful."

There were laughs, including a chuckle from Sinclair's own lackeys until he silenced them with a glare. He then stepped closer to Rufus. "You have a lot of nerve," he said.

"Probably more than you," said Rufus. "If you want to fight me, then fine, but I'll probably win and you know perfectly well they won't expel me because I actually matter." Unlike Sinclair, who just wished he were half as important.

Sinclair backed down for the moment and Rufus turned to leave. He didn't want to stay with the others for too long. He wasn't part of any group and he didn't have friends. What he did have was a computer in his dorm room that might allow him to find out more about this Reno Flynn. Knowing the competition would be a good strategy. This was fun.


	4. Chapter 4: Plans

**Plans**

Reno didn't understand what Blondie was playing at. The boy's tone had suddenly become friendly and he seemed to be trying to give Reno advice on how to deal with Sinclair. Crap advice, in Reno's considered opinion – who the hell ever beat an asshole like Sinclair by _ignoring_ him? – but, still, the intention seemed genuine, as far as Reno could make out. Seemed like Blondie was just desperate for a rematch of that race. Yeah – good luck with that. Reno hadn't yet met a kid who could beat him at running – or an adult either, fortunately. He was about to tell Blondie as much, when Sinclair – who, Reno thought with satisfaction, must have been avoiding him, since he'd made himself scarce pretty damn quick at the end of class - weighed in again with some totally lame comment, and, to Reno's surprise, Blondie called him out on it. When Sinclair actually backed down, Reno looked at the blond kid with new respect. His first assessment had been right – Blondie had some sort of clout within the group, but Reno couldn't put his finger on why, exactly. He watched the boy walk away, puzzled. Weird kid. Maybe he'd ask Mani about him later, but for now he didn't want to give any of the students the impression he gave a shit about any of them.

Reno followed Mani, Sebastian and his twin along the corridor to a small, crowded room where a couple of older boys were selling a whole variety of drinks and candy from a desk. Reno had never seen so many kinds of candy except in the windows of shops on the plate, and on those excursions his targets had been sports shops and electronics dealers. No point wasting time stealing low-value stuff like candy.

"Tuck shop's open every break time and after lunch," explained Mani, who clearly made good use of the facility. "It's a good idea to stock up at the start of the week – the best stuff goes fast."

"Yeah – I'm not really hungry," lied Reno, who had not so much as one gil to his name. The scholarship covered tuition, accommodation, food and school uniform. It didn't seem to have occurred to anyone that a student might need money for anything else. It would be easy enough to swipe something, but thinking about the factory had made Reno realize that he really didn't want to be expelled – and he knew that theft would not be tolerated. Funny how the richer people were, the more they seemed to begrudge losing so much as a gil.

Mani looked at Reno as though he were insane. "Really? Not hungry? No wonder you're so skinny!" He patted his own rather round stomach ruefully. "I'm _always_ hungry!"

Sebastian glanced at Reno. "I'm not really hungry either," he said. "Why don't we show Reno the dorm and the common room, and come back here at lunch? It's so crowded, we'll be here all break."

Mani sighed. "Okay. This way!"

"Sacha and I are both in Griffin House," Sebastian said to Reno as they followed Mani to the end of the corridor, through a pointed archway out into a small courtyard, through a narrow oak door and up a flight of stone stairs. "We're just opposite you, across the quad. Zolom is on the north side, and Tonberry to the south, over the refectory – that's the dining hall. Oh – I'm Seb, by the way. Only teachers call me Sebastian."

"And Dad," added the other twin, more to Seb than Reno.

"Yeah," Seb agreed. "Dad hates me being Seb – but not as much as he hates Sacha being Sacha. He says, 'We called you Alexander, and that's what you'll always be to me'. Ah – here we are."

"Welcome to the Chocobo dorms," said Mani cheerfully, holding open the door for Reno. "It's three or four to a room. You'd better come in with me, Raf and Asher – the only other free space is in Sinclair's dorm – he shares with his cousin Lucas in the fifth year."

"Okay, thanks," said Reno, glad that at least he wouldn't have to sleep in the same room as Sinclair. A long, dim corridor ran the length of the wing, with six white-painted doors on each side, and one at the end. The only illumination came from two skylights in the ceiling.

"Bathrooms here and here," said Mani, indicating the first two doors. "We're at the end, by the common room – last on the left."

The bedroom turned out to be light, if small. On either side of a square dormer window stood metal-framed bunk beds, two small desks were crowded side-by-side under the window and two more desks were tucked into a corner under the sloping roof. The remaining wall space was taken up by a variety of mismatched drawers, closets and bookcases.

"Hope you don't mind the top bunk," Mani said, pointing to the bed above his own. "I'm not good with ladders. Those drawers are empty – and that closet, and the desk in the corner there, next to Asher's. Asher's nice – everyone likes him. He's a third year, so you probably won't meet him until after dinner. Where did they put your stuff?"

"They said it would be in the common room."

"Right next door, at the end of the corridor," said Mani. "I'll show you."

The Chocobo common room was a large, bright room with a huge fireplace, windows on two sides, and a variety of couches and chairs. In an alcove was a new-looking television set. Mani glanced around the room. "They can't have brought it up yet," he said to Reno, who was staring at the TV, impressed.

Reno shook his head. "No – it's over there." He went to a window seat and picked up a battered black hold-all.

"Where's the rest of – ow!" Mani squawked as Seb elbowed him in the ribs.

"I travel light," said Reno, affecting nonchalance. He took the bag back to the bedroom and slung it onto the bunk above Mani's. He wasn't about to admit it to anyone, but the idea of sleeping in a real bed was exciting. He'd always slept on the couch in the many tiny apartments he'd shared with his mom and her various 'friends' as they moved around the sector slums throughout his childhood.

"We'd better get back to class," said Seb. "The bell will be going in a minute, and you know what old Varley is like about punctuality. History first, then lunch, then double Lit before dinner."

x

After leaving Reno and the others, Rufus headed straight to his room. Break wouldn't last too long, but there might be time to get a little work done. As the rest of the school wasted their time with snacks and catching up from the summer, Rufus sat alone in his room, gaze fixed on his computer.

He was confident in his budding abilities as a hacker and sure he could find out anything he wanted. However, he was also certain he didn't want to be late for History class. If this was going to be the first year he'd have real competition then his record needed to be unblemished. Hacking into Reno's underplate academic record would have to wait for later, when he had more time.

If he bothered, Rufus didn't like the thought that this boy interested him so much. After all why should Reno matter? Sure, he was fascinating. The way he didn't care about anything and did whatever he pleased. Despite being born into the most powerful family on the planet, Rufus had never been free. Reno was more liberated than anyone Rufus had seen. Everyone in his life, all his classmates, were so keenly aware of their place and the rules they had to play by and were always mindful of them.

Even rebels like Cass knew the rules and purposefully ignored them. Reno, on the other hand, seemed to not give a fuck about any of it. He did what he wanted because he wanted to regardless of the consequences. Besides, it was easy for someone like Cass to flout the rules; Cass really wasn't a rebel so much as above it all. Cassian was a descendant of the old aristocracy; unlike Rufus he had no company to inherit and his family name came with no responsibility other than to live a life befitting someone of wealth and taste. Cass could do as he pleased because his position and money made him unassailable. Reno had nothing to protect him and everything to lose, and yet he was free.

Rufus found his mind going over everything he could learn about Reno and how he'd learn it. One part of him enjoyed this because it was sort of thinking like a Turk. (Of course, Rufus knew that he shouldn't play at being anything, especially servants. Even if there were times he wished he could have been one of them instead of - no, he was Rufus Shinra and would want nothing less than his birthright.) Another part of him realized that searching for Reno's records in order to find some dirt on him would be verging on creepy.

It wasn't that he wanted personal information about Reno, more that he didn't understand him and wanted to solve this, figure him out. However, he didn't need to understand Reno to beat him, he only needed strategically relevant information. Strengths and weaknesses Wasn't it lucky Reno had just taken an assessment test? Rufus had already figured out how to access his own school's confidential records, so getting back in while on break was simple enough.

To Rufus's surprise, Reno's test scores were fairly…normal. Above average, of course, his math score was nearly perfect, but his reading scores weren't great (Reno seemed to do well on reading comprehension and analysis but terrible on vocabulary, probably because he'd never taken Cetran so he couldn't puzzle out the roots, and most of the words on these sorts of tests wouldn't be used day to day. He probably thought _blandish _meant something sort of bland - and who knew what he'd make of a word like _fallacious_?). The average reading scores made his overall score above average but nowhere near top. He was good enough to be admitted to the school, but probably not good enough to be chosen over more qualified candidates. Of course, the scholarship considered other factors, but Reno said he didn't know how he got in, just took a test, so it was possible he'd never penned a personal statement or even applied. What made Reno so special?

Rufus could think of only one thing:

Running.

Midgar Shinra Academy had never won any of the multi-school competitions and as a consequence didn't have a very good reputation in terms of sports. Honestly, it wasn't that surprising, considering Midgar Academy catered to the richest of the rich and made allowances for the students to do what they wanted, such as an option to opt out of PE and take private, student-provided courses, instead, which could be anything from yoga with a personal trainer to interpretive dance. Of course, there were sports teams and clubs, but chocobo polo wasn't a part of the All Academy Tournament.

The Headmaster had seen Reno running and sensed an opportunity. Reno was a weapon the head needed for his arsenal. Rufus wondered how Reno would feel about that. Maybe Rufus didn't need to beat Reno at running to win; maybe he just needed to convince him he wasn't the Headmaster's race bird.

If Reno didn't run again, Rufus would be the fastest in the school, and a win was still a win even by non-traditional means. In fact, winning by using his own strengths rather than trying to outmatch his opponent was far cleverer than beating Reno on the field While it was true that convincing Reno not to run would hurt the school's chances in the games, the school's athletic standing wasn't Rufus's concern. Forget school spirit, Rufus Shinra was loyal to his own ends.

Except, beating Reno at running fair and square would be more satisfying. Winning by default was hardly sportsmanly. If what he wanted was Reno gone, well he could talk to father about having him expelled – not that he'd ever do that. No, Rufus didn't like using his father's position and besides there was no need to ruin Reno's life over a race. He just wanted to beat him. Had to beat him.

Rufus had trained all summer, so maybe he could trounce him on the field. He'd see how he did in gym class against Reno. If winning directly didn't seem possible he'd let his information slip to Reno. Winning by default wouldn't be as sweet, but it was still a win.

It was amazing the comfort that having a plan of action could bring.

When Rufus returned to class he found himself easily caught up in the history lesson. It was a very ironic lesson. It was obvious the intent was to convince the students that Wutai was an evil imperialistic threat that had done terrible things in the past so of course Shinra was doing everyone a favor by waging this long, pointless conflict that cost more than it was worth. Seriously, the potential profit from a reactor in Wutai wouldn't equal the cost of waging this war; the entire thing was a massive waste. Although Rufus understood the reactor wasn't really the point. The point was his father wanted to show Godo that his dick was bigger.

Not that Rufus didn't understand the benefit of displays of power. If people feared Shinra then they'd stay in line, but the war didn't exactly make Shinra look good. It had been waging since Rufus was ten years old, and three years later and it didn't look like it would be over anytime soon. And the ironic thing about the lesson was, as much as the professor strove to paint Wutai as evil, all the things he described, imperialism, a sense of superiority, brutality, fit Shinra to a T.

Not that Rufus would say anything. Publically criticizing his father wouldn't get him anywhere. He sometimes wished he had someone to talk to about how he really felt about things, but who could he trust? There was Tseng, though he could never forget that Tseng was a Turk, and thus not completely trustworthy. Anyone who worked for his father would never be entirely trusted because they couldn't be wholly on his side.

Besides, Rufus couldn't exactly talk to Tseng about Wutai. Tseng might think Rufus was bringing it up because he was Wutaian, which couldn't be further from the truth. Rufus had never really seen Tseng as Wutaian. He realized he was Wutaian, obviously, the sheen of his dark hair that looked touchable soft, how warm his skin looked, his sharp narrow eyes so dark yet inviting. It was just that to Rufus, Tseng had always been an individual, the big kid who looked after him, the young man who always willing to talk and actually listen to what Rufus had to say. Words that truly described Tseng, words that made up the essence of who Tseng was to Rufus, had nothing to do with his heritage. Tseng wasn't _Wutaian_, for that label conveyed nothing essential; Tseng was a playmate, baby sitter, mentor, protector, teacher, constant, beautiful.

Rufus stopped himself and pushed the thought as far down as he could and tried to focus on his lesson. He shouldn't think of Tseng as beautiful. He shouldn't think of Tseng at all, or at least not nearly as often as he did. But at the same time, it seemed safer to think about Tseng because nothing could ever happen with Tseng. Tseng was like a teacher or a celebrity, much too old for anything real to happen. Unlike boys his age, who could happen. Sacha would jump at the chance - unless Rufus had misread him, and his adoration was really just a fan-like recognition of Rufus's musical ability. But he'd thought he'd seen Sacha look his way.

It was easier to not act on things he could never afford to act on when he knew there was no chance of it happening. All the same, Rufus still knew it was wrong to think about Tseng that way - or any boy. So he tried to push away his feelings (because he couldn't exactly push Tseng out of his life and really didn't want to), and stay away from Sacha (as much as he could without being needless rude or overly conspicuous. He did like Sacha all right as a person, after all).

x

At his underplate schools, Reno's experience of History had largely been a series of dreary accounts of the rise of the Shinra Electric Power Company, with new, yawn-inducing details added each year. Mr. Varley's class proved a bit more interesting, being a gruesome account of some of the most important battles between the Wutai Empire and the oppressed peoples of the Western Continent three hundred years ago. It was quickly apparent that the class's sympathies were supposed to lie with the Westerners.

As soon as the History lesson was over, Reno went willingly with Mani and the twins to the refectory for lunch, relieved that Sinclair and Blondie had both kept low profiles and made no further comments during the lesson. In the refectory – a long, oak-beamed hall - Reno wolfed down a plate of something hot and good that seemed to be mostly cheese. His hunger satisfied, he became aware of another craving which intensified as the lunch break went on. What he really needed was a cigarette. Deprivation was making him jittery, and he felt vaguely shocked by how strongly the need was affecting him; he smoked a lot less than many of the kids in his old school. Whatever Mani had said, he couldn't believe that every one of these rich boys stuck to the school rules. He had to find a smoke soon, while avoiding Sinclair, and trying to think of a way of getting hold of a few gil without doing anything that would result in being expelled.

Sinclair had mentioned janitors – maybe one of them would give him a cigarette, or have an idea about how he could make some money? Someone had brought his bag up to the common room – there must be staff in the kitchens – there had been that Matron woman on the day he'd been caught by that monster of a dog. Reno had no objection to hard work, but he very much minded the idea that everyone would look down on him when they found out that he had no money at all. If he could find some kind of a job, and keep it secret from the other students, he thought he might manage to make his time at the Academy bearable. He had no chance to do anything about his longing for a cigarette during lunch, however, and the idea of sitting through two hours of Literature with nothing to take the edge off his craving made him feel almost desperate.

x

When lunch came Rufus wondered if now would be a good time to stop sitting next to Sacha lest he get too close. He usually ate lunch on his own. On the other hand, lunch would be an opportunity to sit next to Reno, just in case he ever had to talk him out of racing. Currently, Reno saw him as an aggressor and would see through any attempt to talk him out of competing.

If Rufus ever decided talk Reno out of racing he would have to make it seem like it was just friendly concern, and to do that Rufus would have to convince Reno that…they were friends. That meant actively trying to make friends with Reno and pretending they were friends long enough for Reno to trust him. Although severing the relationship as soon as Reno quit running wouldn't work because then Reno would suspect Rufus' act and go back to running to spite him. So he'd have to wait for an excuse to not be friends anymore or just go on pretending. Well, being friends with Reno did seem like the sort of thing that would annoy his father and Sinclair, so that was a plus and there was no danger in being friends when it was only pretending to care.

All the same, he'd take some time to consider his options. Getting close to someone, even just pretending to, could be dangerous and wasn't like he generally had time for that sort of thing. Rufus took a seat on his own and weighed his options.

x

Reno really couldn't bring himself to care about the Literature lesson – he needed nicotine too badly to focus on more than the most basic plot of the play a cheerful teacher called Professor Matthews was waffling on about so enthusiastically. By the end of the lesson he was past caring to even pretend to be polite to Mani and the other boys. When Seb said cheerfully, "Refectory's this way, Reno," Reno only waved a hand at him and said, "Yeah - yeah, thanks, I'll pass. Not hungry -"

Mani stared after him, as Reno vanished along the main corridor in the opposite direction from the dining hall. "I thought people didn't have much food in the slums!" he said to Seb. "Doesn't he ever _eat_?"

Working on the premise that all schools – even one with as many rules as the Academy – must have at least a small group of secret smokers, Reno headed for the kinds of places they tended to gather, following every quiet corridor, peeking into cupboards, following any staircase that led down. When he found a dusty corridor containing brooms and vacuum cleaners, he knew he was on the right track. At the end of the corridor a metal door opened creakily onto a dimly lit cellar with a set of concrete steps leading down into the darkness. A low hum and a set of copper pipes descending from the ceiling told Reno that this was the kind of place he was looking for: a Mako generator, or a boiler room at the heart of the school's water and heating systems. At best he would discover the smokers, but in any case he might find clues that they existed. Hell, at this point he wasn't past scavenging old butts. He closed the door quietly behind him and descended the stairs, wondering whether anyone would believe that he got lost on the way to the bathroom, should he be discovered.

Suddenly, Reno became certain that he was being followed.


	5. Chapter 5: Like A Turk

Like A Turk

Reno walked on slowly, all of his senses on alert. There was no sound, but he _felt_ the presence of another person close by. Stooping to pretend to look at something on the ground, Reno glanced behind him and saw – nothing. He was about to move on when there was a bright flash in his peripheral vision and he found himself under attack from _above_. Instinctively Reno jabbed his elbow backwards as hard as he could, hitting a solid object that sent shockwaves of pain up his arm. "Ow, fuck!" Reno cried, holding his injured arm, and spinning to face his attacker, who lay sprawled on the ground, clasping something to his chest, groaning softly.

"Blondie?" Reno asked, but as soon as he said it he knew he was wrong. The attacker got to his knees, then his feet, and Reno waited for him to stand up, before realizing that he _was_ standing up, and that the person he'd hit was a younger, much smaller kid with wide, slightly dazed eyes, and a mop of bright golden curls. He appeared to be holding some kind of backpack - or, now Reno looked more closely, _wearing_ it – but wearing it back to front, so that, luckily for him, it had protected his chest.

"What the hell?" Reno shouted. "What are you _doing _jumpin' me like that? I coulda friggin' killed you!" He calmed down a little as the kid shook his head, still trying to catch his breath after Reno's blow. "What the hell you got in that thing, anyhow?" asked Reno, realizing that the kid didn't seem to be about to attack again. "That hurt, yo!

The kid winced, and Reno thought it was at the yelling rather than because he was in any pain. He was lucky he'd been wearing that backpack; Reno had once broken another boy's ribs in a fight. But this kid was looking at him now without any anger.

"Sorry!" the kid said, looking down a moment. He absentmindedly kicked at the ground with his shoe. He blushed when he looked up and answered. "Nunchucks? Heh." He unzipped his bag and pulled out a pair of wooden nunchaku slotted with a single Materia. The bag also contained what looked to be a pair of foam training nunchakus, a book in Wutaian with a drawing of a ninja on the cover, a water bottle, various sweets and a very worn looking stuffed moogle.

Suddenly the boy's eyes lit up and he grinned. "I can take care of your arm!" he said. "Oh my gosh, this will be great practice!" He took the nunchucks out of the bag and stepped back into a fighting stance. Reno was about to protest - what the hell did the kid think he was doing messing around with dangerous shit like materia? - but before he could react, the materia let off a faint glow and the energy transferred to Reno.

"I guess I shouldn't really be doing this," the boy said, smiling. "Technically school rules say we can't use materia outside authorized training. But it's not as though this is offensive materia; it's just a Cure." The kid swayed slightly, and sat down, sighing. He blinked at Reno, looking dazed, then put his nunchucks away and took out his water bottle. After a sip of water he revived a little. "Feel better?" he asked Reno. "Man, I need to work on my MP."

Reno had never been cured by materia before, and the experience left him feeling weirdly off-balance and yet uncharacteristically serene. The pain in his elbow vanished, and along with it went every trace of his nicotine craving. In fact he felt really, really good. "Yeah," he said, trying to suppress a foolish grin that kept threatening to emerge. "Yeah - I feel great! What's MP?"

"Materia Practice - so you can use this stuff without draining all your energy. Not sure how it works exactly, I guess people have energy, sort of like lights, and casting plugs in the materia to your body's wireless energy, or something. I'm really not that good with science. But it worked right? Are you still feeling alright?"

"Yeah," Reno nodded. "Fine."

"Good," the kid chirped, "and sorry about scaring you. I wasn't trying to jump on you or anything, just following you. I had been up there," he pointed to the ceiling, "that's why I was wearing this backwards." He took off his backpack, removed the book and put it back on so it was actually on his back. He flipped open to a bookmarked page and showed the older boy a picture of a ninja with his back to the ceiling, hands and feet spread out against the surrounding walls to hold himself up. "It was sort of hard to do with a bag, but I thought the extra weight might be good training, you know? Anyway, sorry for spying and following you. When you walked underneath me I was sort of curious about what you were doing. What were you doing, anyway? And I…also sort of wanted to see how long it would take you to notice me. I want to practice being super stealthy like a Turk!" He jumped in the air, with excitement, before laughing a bit. "You really saw me coming though," said the kid, "and great defensive move by the way? What style is it? What did you train in? Could you teach me?"

Reno forced a scowl. This kid was way too happy about his brush with death – or at least serious injury. And yet somehow Reno couldn't help but smile again when the boy started talking about being 'super stealthy like a Turk' and asking about his combat style, actually bouncing on the spot.

"Well," said Reno, sticking his hands in his pockets and trying to look as though exploring the school's heating system was a perfectly normal thing to be doing, "I jus' thought I'd check out the whole place, y'know?" He lowered his voice and glanced around with a pseudo significant lift of his eyebrows. "Never underestimate the importance of recon." When the kid nodded sagely, Reno added, "An' as for my _style_ – well – I guess I _could_ teach you – but I'd have to charge."

He couldn't believe it when the kid actually looked as though he was about to agree. Much as he needed money, taking it off this kid would be like fleecing Jai – or, more realistically, Jai's six-year-old brother. And the boy had cured him, after all.

"Nah – just messin' with you," Reno confessed. "It ain't any style. Just how I fight, yo. And I was down here lookin' for smokes, but I don't feel like one any more. I'm Reno. So – who're you, Nunchaku? Aside from the Turks' next recruit, yo?"

The boy grinned at Reno's comment. "I'm Asher, form 2B, House Chocobo." He offered Reno his hand. "We should probably get going since we're not supposed to be back here." He turned in the direction of the door and motioned for Reno to follow. "If you're looking for a place to smoke one of the faculty lounges allows smoking, but sneaking in there would be breaking school rules. Well so is being back here and smoking, I guess. If you did want to sneak in I could show you how to get there through the air ducts. Know your surroundings, right?"

Reno laughed. "You spend your spare time crawling about in the air vents?

Asher looked a little embarrassed. "Um - only sometimes. Sounds a bit weird when you put it like that. I just thought it might be useful. Recon, like you said."

"Yeah," Reno replied. "Guess that could be useful. Never hurts to have alternative routes. Okay kid, lead the way!"

As they made their way towards the door Asher asked, "You're House Chocobo too, aren't you - you're wearing our tie. Wicked! You're the new scholarship student, right? The one who beat Rufus in the race? The whole school's talking about you being here, you know? After you beat Rufus that was all anyone talked about for months. I almost felt sorry for him, everyone going on about him being beaten. Everyone was curious about you, and now you're a student here! I bet you'll be super popular."

"So," Reno asked, "Blondie - uh, that's Rufus, right? - got some stick for that, huh? That explains why he wasn't exactly pleased to see me…"

Asher, though, was continuing to talk nineteen to the dozen. "Oh I wouldn't mind Rufus, he doesn't like anyone. Hey you know, even if you don't have a formal fighting technique, I'd still like to learn from you," he said, with a bright smile, looking back over his shoulder. "You think you could teach me to be a better fighter? Oh and you should join martial arts club, if you want to learn some more formal styles. I have a private teacher but it seems silly to pay him to come all the way out here just to work with me so I've been trying to get other students interested in joining. Although if you worked with me you'd miss general PE and that might be more fun for you. You get to do a bunch of different sports that way, and you'll probably be busy with track. You are joining the track team, right?"

Reno wasn't at all sure that he wanted to join anything. He felt rather as if he'd been picked up and deposited in an alien landscape; all his bearings were gone. But he wasn't about to admit that to anyone, let alone a kid who was younger than him and who carried a stuffed moogle in his backpack, so he contented himself with a shrug. The idea of doing sports as part of the school timetable seemed very odd to Reno, but he certainly wasn't about to complain. Under the plate the main purpose of education was to turn out people fitted for the factories, with the emphasis being on basic literacy, Maths, and practical subjects like electronics and engineering. The only physical part of the curriculum was a bi-weekly hour of repetitive exercises, in the small assembly hall. Sport was something you were expected to do in your own time – if you cared. The idea of learning martial arts appealed to Reno – but so did spending time running.

They reached the door leading back towards the halls. Asher opened it just a tiny bit to check if the coast was clear and then motioned for Reno to follow as the slid back into the main hallways. "I hope you're not too busy. If you need any help with classes just let me know. I'm not so good with math and science, but I'm great with Cetran, everyone in my village grows up around ancient ruins so we learn Cetran really young. Lots of archeology back home."

"Thanks," Reno said. Wary as he was, he couldn't help responding to Asher's boundless enthusiasm. "Cetran might be useful. Even though you're two forms lower, you must be way ahead of me. And if you needed any help with math - I'm okay at that, I guess."

"Ok? You're a scholarship student! You must be a genius!" said Asher. "Since we're in the same House, maybe you could tutor me after classes or on weekends? I can't go home on weekends since I'm not from around here so I'm pretty much free.

Reno hadn't expected to be taken up on his offer quite so promptly, but he couldn't see any harm in helping Asher out. "Okay," he said. "I'm not goin' anywhere at weekends, that's for sure."

"Perfect!" said Asher, "You're a lifesaver. I barely got an A last semester, and only because I did extra credit in math and science. Seriously, I had to scrub beakers and pin dead things to boards; it was awful. But I really need to have straight As! After I graduate I'm sending the Turks my resume so it has to be perfect. I bet they're super selective and I won't stand out if my grades aren't the best. That's why I work so hard."

"Seriously?" Reno asked. "You think the Turks take resumes?"

"How else would they hire people?" asked Asher. "There has to be an application process right?"

"I guess I always thought it was more… kind of - I don't know. Performance related? Like, 'we need that guy wasted - go waste that guy'. That's the reputation they have underside, anyhow."

"Well how would they know to ask you to waste that guy if you haven't applied?" asked Asher.

Reno shrugged. "Never thought about it. Don't they just scout for people who can do that stuff, and recruit them if they're good? I heard rumours that you have to kill someone before they'll recruit you."

"Well," Asher stopped walking, putting a hand under his chin as he thought. His face had gone from happy to troubled. "I guess that makes sense. Then what should I do? I mean there's more to being a Turk than killing, isn't there? SOLDIER has standards and they probably do more killing than Turks. Turks are spies. But...oh now I'm not sure what to do. I'm in school, so it's not like I can do anything to get their attention. I can't just find bad guys to kill...I mean, I don't want to kill anyone anyway unless I had to...Turks kill when they have to, like SOLDIER right?"

"I guess. But with SOLDIER it's killing in wars. Not the same as taking someone out on the quiet. But you could always practise in school. There's Sinclair, for one. I wouldn't miss him."

"You shouldn't joke like that," said Asher. "You could be expelled for that. You don't mean it, right?"

"Yeah, dead serious," said Reno, until he saw Asher's face. "Hey - lighten up, kid! What - you can be expelled for joking?"

"They take security really seriously," said Asher. "After you broke in to race, Rufus's father made the head fire the entire staff and replaced them with armed guards. Guns and EMRs, though they have to use non-lethal force first and we're supposed to report anything suspicious. Zero tolerance."

Reno stared at him. "You're fuckin' kidding?"

"Didn't your school care about your safety?" asked Asher.

"Yeah - but schools are safe. It's out on the streets you have to be careful. So - what happened to the staff who got fired?" Reno felt a bit guilty about that. He thought the guy who'd set the dog on him deserved his fate, but what about the ones who hadn't even been present at the time? The whole thing sounded like overkill. Who the hell did this Rufus' father think he was, throwing his weight about like that?

Asher shrugged. "I don't know, I guess they got new jobs somewhere else? I don't know all the details. Wish I did, it was sort of cool. Everyone was investigated and reviewed. I mean, I guess it wasn't cool for them but you have to admit things weren't very safe if anyone could have just broken in. What if instead of you slipping in it had been someone with a gun? Rufus would have been killed before security even showed up."

Reno shook his head. "Who the hell would want to kill Rufus?"

"Bad people," said Asher, "Even if he hasn't done anything, it wouldn't matter to some people. Who knows why?" Asher shrugged. "I don't understand why anyone hurts anyone else. That's why I want to be a Turk. To fight bad guys and make the world safer. Well, not just because of that, but that's part of it. I don't know what I can do to be recruited though, but it wouldn't hurt to try an application first right? If that doesn't work then I'll...I don't know, travel and do jobs that might get their attention. Like fight crime or something."

Reno couldn't help laughing at that. "Sounds like the world above the plate is a whole lot more dangerous than underneath! Still - good to have a goal, I guess?"

"Yup," said Asher, "and a plan. First step, straight As. So how many hours a week are you available to tutor and how much do you think is fair?"

"What - you mean you're really gonna pay? Like I was a teacher or some shit?" Reno asked, incredulous. He still felt bad about actually charging a kid Asher's age for lessons, but he also really needed money.

"Well yeah," said Asher, "I have a private tutor last year from the University but she graduated - got a job with Shinra. Mom was going to post ads for a new tutor, but it would be easier to just work with you since you live here. My old tutor got 50 an hour, but since you're not in Uni maybe 25 or 30? I'll have to talk to her about it."

"Twe - uh - thirty _gil_?" Reno asked, astonished. "I mean, yeah - that sounds cool." If Asher was serious, Reno's money problems would be solved at a stroke. "You mean thirty gil an hour?" he asked, trying to sound as though that was more or less what he'd expected.

"Of course," said Asher, "that's the usual starting rate. So do we have a deal?"

"Yeah! Yeah - okay," replied Reno, struggling to keep his tone nonchalant.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" said Asher jumping up and down. "This will be great. You can help me with math and I'll help you with Cetran and you can teach me how to fight and we can be on the same sports team and win the house cup! And as an underclassman I will totally be at your service, senpai!" A moment later he added. "Senpai is wutaian, it means respected senior. I think. They don't offer classes in it so I've been learning it on my own."

Reno took a step back in the face of Asher's puppy-like bounding. "Yeah," he said, trying not to laugh. "Great. That's - nice. And good for you - with the whole Wutai thing."

The kid had been talking so fast, jumping from topic to topic, that Reno had sometimes struggled to keep up with what he was saying, but he suddenly remembered where he'd heard the boy's name before.. "Asher," he said, as they continued along the main corridor. "I know where I've heard your name! You share a dorm with Mani and the head's son – Ralf was it? That means I'm in your room, too, now. Mani asked me. Hope that's okay," he added, realizing that neither Asher nor the other boy had been consulted.

Asher's ear to ear grin was answer enough and in case there was any doubt he pumped his fists in a display of victory. "Awesome!"

X

Rufus had planned to approach Reno at dinner but the redhead was nowhere to be seen. That was odd. Had something happened? He scanned the room. Sinclair and his gang were in their usual spot so no one had ambushed him. Hopefully he hadn't done anything to get himself expelled just yet.

Even if Rufus no longer planned to beat him in the race, convincing him to drop running would still be a victory. He needed to beat Reno, one way or another, and it just wouldn't do if the idiot went and got himself expelled. With Reno gone there wasn't much point hanging around the cafeteria. Rufus was never very hungry and wound up pushing his food around more often than he ate it.

Rufus had only just stretched out on his bed and opened his Cetran primer, lying on his back and using the book to block the lowlight of the setting sun that filtered through the diamond pane of the window, when his phone rang.

Who would call him? Father wouldn't bother, would he? Not that Rufus cared; at fourteen he was far too old to care. Tseng was more likely to check in. Rufus hoped it was Tseng. He wanted to tell him about Reno, perhaps get his take on his plan. Rufus flipped open the PHS and said hello.

"Rufus?" The voice wasn't Tseng's or his father's, but it was one he'd known all his life. Veld waited, needing Rufus to confirm his identity before he continued the call. At least a sentence was necessary in order for the voice recognition software to be able to make the confirmation. All calls to and from the Academy were monitored in this way.

"Veld?" asked Rufus sounding quite confused. Ordinarily if the Turks needed to contact him it would be Tseng who called. Come to think of it, Rufus hadn't seen or heard from Veld since the meeting with his father back in March, over six months ago. Where he been over the summer? "Uh yes it's me, has something happened?" Was his father all right?

"Don't be concerned," Veld replied. "Yes, it's me. Your father is quite well; busy as usual. In fact, we've all been - busy. Tseng would normally make this call, but he's away on a long-term project. Your father order - um - asked us to call you at the start of each term to make sure school's going well, and to check your grades."

"How thoughtful," said Rufus, his words laced his sarcasm, "He does know we don't get grades until after the end of term? My grades from last term were posted back in July. I told him I had straight As. My father doesn't even listen when I talk to him, so why bother talking to me? You think he'll read whatever report you write up?"

Rufus thought he could hear a sound that could have been Veld sighing, but he wasn't sure. It didn't seem like the sort of thing Veld would do.

"Of course he's interested in your welfare, Rufus - he's your father. And I can assure you he keeps up to date with your grades - I overheard him boasting about them, actually, at a party in K - in Kalm, at the end of the Spring term. I just meant - how are lessons going? Is there anything you need?

"Lessons are fine," said Rufus. He wished Tseng had been the one to call. He wanted to know Tseng's take on Reno without worrying his concerns would be reported to his father. All the same, finding out what Veld knew could be useful. "Did you know they let that boy in, the one who broke into the school to race? I bet you do, he wouldn't have been in without some sort of clearance. You could have warned me, you know."

Veld sounded uncharacteristically vague as he replied, "Boy? What - oh - oh, yes - the runner. Yes, he was cleared. Your father seemed to think it was about time your school won a few sporting trophies, and we're keeping an eye - Why? He's not giving you any trouble is he?"

"Everything's fine, it was just surprising." said Rufus. He wouldn't go on about how no one would ever forget the race now or confess his insecurities about losing a possible rematch or say anything that might sound weak. He was sure everything he said would go straight to his father. He trusted Tseng. Tseng could keep a secret. Tseng wasn't his father's friend; he just worked for him and that meant he didn't have to report everything if his father didn't really need to know. Though it was strange that Veld didn't know the boy by name. "I win trophies, " Rufus pointed out. "When will Tseng be back, and where were you? I didn't see you at any of the summer parties. Is something happening?"

There was a long pause before Veld replied, "No. There was a - a regrettable incident which put me out of action for a while, but it's all been - cleared up. The situation is normal." His tone brightened, although there was something a little strained in his voice, as he added, "I'm sure your father is proud of your achievements in sports, too. He likes to keep you on your toes. I expect he sees this new boy - Reno, wasn't it? Reno Finn -"

"Flynn," corrected Rufus. "Isn't it your job to be informed?" It wasn't like Veld to be out of the loop. What was going on?

"Right Flynn, yes, I expect your father sees him as a challenge for you."

"Tch," Rufus huffed. So his father was actively trying to make his life harder. Rufus's grip on the PHS tightened. He wanted to throw it across the room. What he even supposed to say to that? That he wouldn't disappoint his father? Everything disappointed his father! "Should be fun," said Rufus. On the bright side, Rufus felt even better about his plan. By making sure Reno refused to race, Rufus would not only beat Reno but also beat his father at his little game! Though Veld sounded a bit off. "Well, I'm glad you're all right. I'm sorry about the incident," - whatever it was, why didn't anyone ever tell him anything? - "did we lose anyone?" He knew Tseng was safe and that was what really mattered, but if any of the other Turks had been killed… Rufus sighed, he shouldn't care so much, father would scold him for it. The Turks were company assets, disposable ones if need be. There was no room for being soft hearted.

Again there was a pause, although not such a long one this time. "No," Veld replied firmly. "No casualties except my arm. But that was my own fault. Careless."

It was Rufus's turn to be silent. What he supposed to say to that? Whatever happened sounded pretty bad, but at least no one had died, but then Veld didn't sound quite right. Maybe it had been closer than he cared to admit. "I see," said Rufus, "But you'll be all right?"

Veld's laugh sounded creaky, but perhaps that was just a bad connection over the PHS. "Yes, thank you, Rufus. I'll survive. You - look after yourself. Work hard."

"I'll do whatever it takes," said Rufus, "you can count on that." Rufus ran a hand through his hair. He would win, one way or another. If his father wanted to play games, Rufus would rise to that challenge too. "I have everything under control. Good night, Veld." He shut the PHS. Laying aside his textbook for the moment, he let his mind focus on strategies for winning Reno's trust. Once Reno let his guard down, nothing would get in the way of Rufus's victory.


	6. Chapter 6: Truce

Chapter 6: Truce

Reno thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the following afternoon's double lesson, which was two hours of track and field sports. He'd never tried any of the events before but it seemed that life below the plate had fitted him for many of them, and by the end of the afternoon two teachers and several boys had asked him to think about joining clubs and teams. He couldn't remember the names of all the bits of equipment, but he soon worked out that his strengths were anything involving speed and jumping. When it came to throwing things – the javelin, and that odd, heavy disc thing – he was no more than average, but on the track he shone. If one or two boys sniggered at his unconventional hurdling technique, they soon stopped when he won in spite of it.

The communal showers were a bit of a surprise, but all the other students seemed to think it was perfectly normal to strip off in front of each other. Reno dashed in and out as fast as he could – the tepid water was hardly an invitation to take his time in any case. He dressed quickly, conscious of the scars on his back for the first time in years. Most of the time he forgot they were there. The small one on his stomach just below his ribcage from that incident two years ago had faded already, so the ones on his back were probably hard to see now anyway, but he didn't want people asking questions.

Mani came over, red-faced from exertion, but still cheerful. "You were good!" he said. "I'm rubbish at sports – I always come last! I hold an unbroken record for that. Good to be known for something, right? The best thing about PE is that it's right before dinner. Are you ready?"

Reno followed Mani to the refectory. The plate of mince and pasta he'd had at lunch was more than he was used to eating in a day and had filled him up after missing the previous day's dinner, but now he found that he was hungry again following the afternoon's exercise.

"You'll get used to it," Mani said as they lined up and he handed Reno a wooden tray. "The dinners are okay. Not great – but quite edible. It's best to get your main course and pudding at the same time – the nice puddings go if you wait."

Reno wasn't sure what 'pudding' was, but he nodded as if he understood and copied what Mani did.

"I'm getting the stew and dumplings," Mani told Reno as they reached the front of the queue. "You?"

"Uh – yeah. That," Reno said. He couldn't believe numbers of metal trays full of hot food arrayed before him. Since he didn't know what half of it was, he thought it safest to stick to Mani's choices. A pleasant woman in a white apron and cap ladled steaming stew onto Reno's plate. "Carrots, peas or both?" she asked him.

"Both?" Reno said hopefully.

When his plate was so full he doubted that another pea would have fitted on it, the woman handed it back to him. "There you go, my love."

"Thanks!" Reno was still marveling at the sheer volume of food on his plate, when a second woman asked, "Pudding?"

Reno looked to Mani, but he was already making his way to one of the long tables, carrying his loaded tray carefully.

Seeing his confusion, the woman smiled at him. "Junket, or spotted dick?"

Reno stared at her, thinking he must have misheard. "H - huh?" he stuttered.

"Junket, or spotted dick?"

Dumbfounded, Reno just pointed at the nearest tray, which looked as though it contained some kind of spongy cake flecked with dark pieces of something that might be fruit.

The woman spooned a large helping into a bowl. "Custard?"

"Um – is it nice?"

Looking at him more carefully, the woman asked, "Are you new?"

"Yeah."

"You're the boy who won the race?"

Reno was astonished. Had everyone on the entire plate heard about that damn race? "Yeah," he said, embarrassed.

"I tell you what, I'll put some custard in another bowl, and if you don't like it, it won't spoil your spotted dick."

"Th – thanks," Reno managed, keeping a straightish face until he had turned away, balancing the heavily laden tray with difficulty. By the time he reached Mani his shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter. Thecrockery and cutlery clattered as he set down the tray and sank onto the bench beside Mani.

"Are you okay?" Mani asked, rather alarmed.

Gasping for breath, Reno pointed at his dessert.

"What?" Mani asked, confused. "Is something wrong with your spotted dick?"

Reno collapsed.

By the time he'd recovered, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, several other boys had taken places at the table and were watching him curiously.

"Are you all right?" Seb asked from the bench opposite Reno. Next to him Sacha and Raf were both smiling without knowing what was so funny.

"Yeah. Yeah. It's nothin'. Seriously, I'm fine now. Jus' spo – spotted – And then he asked if – if there was anything wrong with – with my -" Reno collapsed again.

"Oh," smiled Seb. "I guess it is a weird name. You don't really think about it after a while."

Sacha and Raf were both laughing, but in a friendly fashion. From somewhere further along the table Victor Percy sneered, "Really – how utterly childish."

Reno ignored him, but his hilarity subsided. He made a start on the stew, trying not to look at the dessert.

Mani had already polished off most of his main course. "How come you got so much custard?" he asked Reno between mouthfuls.

"Oh – I didn't know if I'd like it, so she gave me a separate bowl so it wouldn't spoil my – I mean, you know," Reno said, making a huge effort not to chortle again.

Mani stared at him. "You've never had custard?" he asked in awed tones as if he couldn't imagine anything more tragic befalling anyone.

"No," Reno replied, not caring to elaborate. Everyone concentrated on eating for a while. Reno had never had such a huge plate of food in his life – or anything that tasted so good.

"You're really good at track," Raf said from across the table. "Perhaps Chocobo House will finally have a chance at winning something this year." He moved along the bench to make room for Asher, who had apparently finished his dinner already, but wanted to chat with his roommates. "Yes," he chimed in, catching the end of Raf's comment, "Zolom always win, because Rufus is so fast, and they have some good athletes in the fourth and fifth forms, too."

"What's up with that Rufus kid, anyway?" Reno asked. "He sure don't like me much."

"Don't take it too hard, it's not personal," said Asher. "I told you, Rufus doesn't like anyone."

"And Sinclair - that not personal either?" asked Reno.

"Oh that probably is. He thinks he's better than everyone. And he's a bit of a bully."

"Sounds like Rufus - and most of the kids here," said Reno.

"I wouldn't say most," said Sacha. He gave Asher a smile. "The mean ones are just loud about it. But Rufus is nothing like Sinclair. Sinclair's the sort of person who'd throw rocks at a cat because he could, or just to beat it. He likes hurting others because it makes him feel powerful. Rufus is more like the cat.

The sort of stray that just hisses, claws, and won't let anyone close enough to pet it because it's been kicked around. I mean, don't tell Rufus I said so! He wouldn't like anyone to think that."

"Rufus don't seem the type to get beat up. He walks around like he thinks he owns the world," said Reno.

"Well he has to," said Sacha. "His father wouldn't accept anything less. Rufus used to play music. He was brilliant - I'd never seen anything like him. A real genius. Then our last year of primary school his father came and said something to him. He stopped playing after that. He has a lot of expectations to live up to, and it can't be easy. Especially since his mom died."

Reno looked across the room, to where Rufus was eating alone at another table. Coming to a typically impulsive decision, he gave the rest of his dessert to Mani, who took it gratefully. "Back in a minute," Reno said to the twins and his three Chocobo roommates, before making his way over to the table where Rufus sat alone.

'Blondie', as Reno still couldn't help thinking of him, was staring into space, pushing some kind of white, creamy dessert that must be the mysterious 'junket' around his plate without eating it. Reno took a deep breath, and jumped over the bench to take a seat beside Rufus.

"Hey," he said. "I just had the – the other pudding. What's that one like?"

Rufus looked up, his expression giving Reno no indication of his thoughts or his feelings. Pushing his barely touched dessert towards Reno, he said, "Help yourself. I'm not eating it."

Reno picked up Rufus' unused spoon and dug into the thick cream. It was smooth and sweet - fairly bland, but with a faint interesting and unfamiliar flavour of something warm and spicy. Reno certainly hadn't tasted anything like it before. "The food here is so good!" he exclaimed. "But I don't get how we're supposed to eat all this every day. I can't hardly move!"

Rufus gave him an impatient look. "You don't have to eat all of it. Most of it ends up being thrown away when people can't finish it." He motioned to the garbage.

Of all the things he'd seen and heard since arriving at the Academy in the morning, Rufus' statement shocked Reno the most. He looked over to a row of plastic bins, and realized that, as students finished their meals, they took their plates and scraped anything they didn't want into the bins before putting the plates onto a pile, and the cutlery into a separate box. He blinked as he saw one boy dump virtually a whole plate of stew into the garbage.

"Why'd they take it, if they don't want it? But they use it for animals, right? And the stuff left over that no one took in the first place – they don't throw that in the garbage – that would be…" He shook his head, having no words for such an unthinkable waste of perfect, delicious food.

"It actually makes sense," said Rufus, pushing his hair back. "Food is thrown out all the time, from grocery stores, restaurants and things. If you can't sell it, it's cheaper to dispose of it. Of course, they can't just give it away to people because that would discourage people from paying for food. My father explained it to me once. We saw a homeless man digging through the dumpster in Junon. Father had security chase him away. He said that's why he's glad Midgar has the plate - keeps pests out of the dumpsters. My father is an asshole, but I couldn't come up with a counter to his economic point. It would be more expensive to collect the edible trash and do something with it. People don't do things unless they can make money from them."

"Pests?" Reno thought about making an issue of the word, but he'd come over to attempt some kind of a truce with Blondie, feeling a bit guilty that the race had apparently become such a big deal in the school and had given the some of the others reason to get at Rufus. The boy's old man sure sounded like an asshole, with his contempt for those below the plate, and his 'security', but Rufus didn't appear to share his father's feelings – not in every way at least.

Reno still wasn't at all sure what to make of Rufus. He seemed to prefer to be on his own, and yet the others seemed to have a certain kind of respect for him. He sure as hell wasn't easy to talk to. Asher had been right - Rufus did remind Reno of those feral cats that were everywhere in the slums looking at you in a way that could have meant anything – but if you tried to touch them they'd most likely rake you with their claws and hiss.

"Under the plate," said Reno, trying to keep his tone light, "us pests don't throw away nothin'. And – yeah – mostly everyone wants to make money, but you don't really think that's the only reason anyone does anything, do you?"

"You're not pests," said Rufus, "I'd never call you that. It's just what my father said and I have less respect for him for calling people that. People aren't animals. As for your question – I suppose some people believe in things other than making money. Duty, an idea...how should I know? I don't understand everyone." He hesitated for a moment, before adding, "I don't understand you, for one. You came over here and started talking to me. Why? I thought you disliked me. I haven't exactly been nice to you - but then again, you were asking for it."

Reno regarded Rufus warily. He really didn't get where this boy was coming from at all. He sounded so – what was it? Bored? Tired? He sounded as though he didn't give a shit about anything – but then he looked at Reno with something that might have been interest, seeming sincerely confused about why Reno was talking to him. Reno was beginning to wonder himself, but he was nothing if not persistent, and so he tried to frame an honest answer. "Well – I reckon you were the one askin' for it – with all that shi – uh – stuff about grammar and whatever – but, puttin' that aside, yo – I've been hearin' some things about how you've been getting' grief on account of that race, and I jus' wanted to say that I never meant anythin' by it, 'cept to see if I was faster, yeah? I don't got nothin' against you, man. Not apart from what you said."

"Oh..." said Rufus. "I thought you were trying to rub my nose in the fact I lost, that's why I mouthed off. I don't give a shit about your grammar, I just didn't want you to have the last word. Weren't you trying to mock me? You were smiling, playing dumb about how you got into the Academy, but your eyes said you wanted to hit me."

Rufus' honesty surprised Reno into telling the truth. "Yeah," he admitted, with a sideways glance at Rufus, pushing the unfinished dessert away, because, waste or not, he really couldn't eat another mouthful unless he wanted to throw up, "Well – you ain't wrong there. But how could I hit you? That's what everyone wanted me to do – to prove to them that I am what they think I am, yeah? An' I wasn't playin' dumb about nothin' either. That is how I got in – they put me in a group at school and gave me a ton of tests, and then more tests after a couple

months, and that was it. Then I got called to see the head, and she said I was comin' here. Not like it was my idea, or nothin'."

"But you must have applied," Rufus said. "And I still don't understand why you wanted to hit me. I hadn't done anything to you."

"Oh c'mon, Blondie!" Reno cried, exasperated. "The minute I walked in you looked at me like – like I was one of those 'pests' your old man was talkin' about, and you were all like, "How did someone like you get into our school", or shit! An' no – I never applied for nothin'. D'you think I wanted to come here?"

"I would never look at you like that and you have no reason to think that of me!" Rufus cried, seeming genuinely angry. "I'm not denying I was surprised you got in. The scholarship is highly competitive. From what I know of the process you have to apply a year ahead of time, then spend the next year prepping for the exam. I'm sorry, but you don't exactly look like the sort of person who'd volunteer to spend months pouring through vocab lists and doing practice exams. Not because you're underplate but because don't exactly seem like a swot. You skipped school to come up to the plate and hang out in the sun, after all. "

Reno was taken aback that Rufus seemed really angry at his accusation. He started to wonder whether he'd been mistaken about the tone of Rufus' initial remark. Could it have been surprise, rather than contempt, that made him ask what Reno was doing in the school?

"Okay," said Reno slowly, "Maybe I read that wrong, yeah? But – I don't have no reason to think nothin' of you yet either way – so I don't get why you're actin' so offended! And no – I never spent any time 'preppin'' before the exam…" An image of Wanda came into his head, saying, 'You don't know anything, and you never do any work!' "I guess… must've got lucky," Reno concluded, but he felt uneasy. What exactly was he doing here?

Rufus took a long drink of water and pulled his plate back to finish off his dessert, before he said, "I don't like being judged for what I am rather than who I am. You assumed I was insulting you so you must have formed some kind of negative opinion of me...but since we got off on the wrong foot, maybe we could start over and forget the misunderstanding?" Rufus smiled, and offered Reno his hand. "I'm Rufus, and you must be a total genius if you managed a perfect score on luck alone. People from all over the planet compete for the scholarship, and then they have to narrow it down out of the ones with perfect test scores. Your personal statement and resume must have been spectacular."

Reno shook Rufus' hand awkwardly, glad that some kind of a truce appeared to have been reached. He could understand not wanting to be judged for what he was – or at least because of where he came from - and he knew that he had assumed Rufus to be some arrogant rich kid who would automatically look down on him. What bothered him more at the moment though was Rufus' talk of 'personal statements' and 'resumes'. He wasn't sure what either of those things entailed, and he certainly hadn't had either of them, as far as he knew. However, he wasn't about to admit that to Rufus, despite the fact that the boy's honesty and willingness to make peace had rather won him over.

"'Kay, then. Well – thanks. Guess I'll see you in class, yo!" Reno left Rufus to his dessert, returning to the table where Mani, Asher and Seb still sat talking. Sacha and Raf had already left. "They have music lessons," Mani explained.

"We've still got half an hour before prep. Let's go back to the dorms, and you can unpack."

"Was everything okay with Rufus?" Seb asked.

"Yeah," said Reno. "We're cool, I reckon." Rufus had been honest and friendly enough, once the cause of their mutual hostility had been sorted out – but the question of the scholarship left Reno feeling uneasy. He was quite certain he hadn't got perfect scores on anything, let alone those statements and whatever. Why had he been given a scholarship so easily? Whatever else life in the slums had or hadn't taught him, Reno had learned from an early age to trust his instincts – and something about this whole set up felt very wrong.

X

"Befriending" Reno had proved a more difficult challenge than Rufus had anticipated. It was easy to manipulate people, all you had to do was figure out what they wanted to hear and parrot it back to them in a way that furthered your own ends. Rufus was quite good at being charming, especially with girls his age. It was so easy to feign interest in them and have everyone buying it. He'd assumed convincing Reno they were 'friends' would be no harder than convincing a girl he liked her. After all, romance and friendship, were all based on the same principles, really.

However, Rufus found it quite difficult to play charming around Reno. Despite his best intentions to say the right things, Rufus couldn't help being honest around Reno and blurting out whatever came into his heads. Sharing the fact his father saw below plate people as pests hadn't done him in any favors in convincing Reno he wasn't classist. Even though in truth he wasn't classist, so it should be easier to convince Reno of that right? He wasn't even lying, but by being honest he'd made a mess of things. Well maybe. They seemed to have come to a truce in the end, but the fact remained Rufus hadn't chosen his words carefully or worked to charm Reno.

He'd just said what came to mind for the most part. Although the conversation had presented an opportunity to plant some seeds of doubt in Reno's mind. So it wasn't a total loss. But Rufus still couldn't understand why he had been so honest with Reno instead of focusing on his objective. He needed Reno to like him, so flippantly saying exactly what he thought, even if Reno might not like it, was really unacceptable.

It was just something about Reno was so infuriating - no, that wasn't it exactly - something about Reno got under Rufus' skin. It didn't help that Rufus' natural inclination was to say what he wanted and it took effort and practiced control to say what he needed (something he hoped to get better at). Reno wasn't like the girls who liked him enough from the start. M, maybe that was 's why it was easier to play nice with the girls; he expected them to like him. Besides, he didn't care about girls so wasting his insights on them seemed pointless; empty charming small talk to achieve an end was simpler. Maybe if he pretended Reno was a girl it would be easier?

He tried that approach next day at break. He sat down next to Reno and handed him a pile of candy bars he'd bought.

"Here," said Rufus, "to make up for being a jerk the first day. I didn't know what you liked so I got all of them." Ok, maybe this was a bit much. "You don't have to eat them all right now, you can always save them for later."

"Uh – okay. Um – thanks?" said Reno, although to Rufus he seemed more confused than grateful.

Perhaps Rufus had made a tactical error. By buying Reno the sweets he might be insinuating Reno couldn't afford them, but then Reno actually couldn't afford them so why would it be offensive to assume correctly? Best change the subject. "It's etiquette classes today, if you want any tips let me know. The class is boring and the rules are illogical for the most part, but I've unfortunately had them drilled into me. Oh well, at least there'll be girls there." Rufus always made an effort to feign enthusiasm for girls, and considering giving Reno chocolates might be taken the wrong way now seemed like a good time to emphasize his enthusiasm.

"Girls, huh? Okay, cool," said Reno as he gathered up the various candy bars and stuffed them into the pockets of his jacket. "Oh, you want some of these?"

Rufus shook his head. He wasn't used to sharing, and what was the point of sharing something you'd just been given?. If Rufus had wanted the candy bar he wouldn't have given it to Reno in the first place. After, Rufus declined, there was a rather awkward silence, before Reno got to his feet and said with false cheer, "Well – I'd better…"

"Oh... yes. Yes... I have to..."

"Right," said Rufus, nodding and turning to go. Well, that could have gone better. Rufus was beginning to see one fatal flaw in his little plan. He had no idea how to make friends.


	7. Chapter 7: Etiquette

Chapter 7: Etiquette

Reno was already feeling somewhat dazed after a grammar lesson that had been filled with words he'd never heard before. He hadn't had a clue that language was made of so many different parts, and didn't get why he was supposed to care. He could read and write, couldn't he? He could make himself understood – at least he used to be able to under the plate, although he was beginning to wonder whether the same applied here.

On top of the confusions of grammar, he'd had a disturbed night, in spite of the luxury of his own, comfortable bed. Mani snored, Raf sometimes talked in his sleep, and Reno had surprised himself by feeling suddenly overwhelmingly homesick at about three in the morning, even though, when he'd been at home, he done his level best to spend as much time as possible elsewhere. He hadn't cried – he couldn't remember the last time he'd cried – but he'd lain awake until he could see daylight around the edges of the curtains, when pure exhaustion had finally caught up with him.

Reno was wondering whether anyone would notice if he just put his head down on the table and slept through break, when Blondie – Rufus – dumped a pile of candy bars in front of him. Reno blinked. Was this some kind of school tradition? Some kind of test? He was still full from last night's dinner – he'd been unable to face more than a cup of coffee at breakfast – and if Rufus expected him to eat that lot - But Rufus was saying something about making up for being a jerk. Okay. But – candy? And so much of it? He looked at Rufus, but couldn't detect any signs of aggression or mockery. Was he for real?

"Uh – okay. Um – thanks?"

Reno wasn't sure whether or not he was imagining things, but Rufus looked rather embarrassed, and started talking about some class later in the day, where apparently there would be girls. Well – that was something, anyway. Reno had seen the class on his timetable – Etiquette – but he had no idea what that was. Still unsure as to Rufus' motives, he didn't ask, settling for gathering up the various candy bars and stuffing them into the pockets of his jacket. "Okay – cool. Oh – you want some of these?"

When Rufus declined, there was a rather awkward silence, before Reno got to his feet and said with false cheer, "Well – I'd better…"

"Oh – yes. Yes – I have to –" Before Reno could move, Rufus walked briskly from the room.

"What the hell was that about?" Reno wondered aloud, sitting down again.

"Dunno," said Mani, from further along the bench. "But don't haggle over the colour of a gift chocobo. Do you like the peanut ones, 'cause if you don't –"

Reno extracted a handful of the bars from his pocket and spread them out over the table, to include Sacha and Asher who were sitting opposite Mani. "Help yourselves. Oh – by the way, what's Etiquette about?"

Mani took a thick candy bar in a purple and orange wrapper, and grinned at Reno. "Cheers." As Mani made a start on the bar, Asher smiled at Reno from across the table, where he was sitting next to a smaller boy Reno didn't recognize who was probably in Asher's year.

"Etiquette's a bit boring," Sacha said. "It's just how to behave – how to make business contacts – manners – that stuff. We get a term of Sex Ed and that sort of thing, but that's not until the summer."

Mani made a disgusted face. "The trouble with Etiquette is that it's mixed classes – you have to learn to dance – with girls - for formal balls and charity events, that sort of thing."

"Dance?" Somehow Reno didn't think Mani was talking about the kinds of street dance he'd sometimes practiced with Jai and his other friends, when they weren't on one of their foraging expeditions or learning tricks on their skateboards. Still – dancing with girls didn't sound too bad to him, however much it made Mani wrinkle his nose.

"Yes – you know – all that one-two-three, one-two-three stuff. I'm no good at it, but everyone has to learn. According to Mr. Patterson, a lot of serious business happens at Midgar balls these days. President Shinra likes throwing parties, everyone says so."

"Yeah – 'cause I'm gonna be doin' a whole lotta chattin' with the President," Reno said.

A bell shrilled, and Reno jumped, still not used to having his movements dictated so abruptly.

"C'mon," Mani said, finishing the candy bar, "Geography next, and then Etiquette – then lunch."

X

No sooner had Rufus walked away then he noticed Mani swooping in, probably sensing the presence of food. No- that was mean, and uncalled for…he didn't even dislike Mani, the boy was pleasant enough after all and utterly harmless. Was he irritated with Mani because Mani and Reno got along so easily?

That had to be it. Rufus didn't like being bad at anything. Father expected him to the best. Even if Rufus knew that was an unrealistic goal and strategically it would be better to focus on cultivating the skills that would best serve him, he didn't want to disappoint his father. Except, father also went on about the need to cultivate useful skills and not waste time on pointless hobbies. So obviously Father didn't really want him to best at everything, just whatever happened to matter to his father.

Being able to make friends, or at least, make and keep useful allies for as long as necessary, was an important skill, and Rufus was usually good at charming people, but with Reno he felt…awkward and pathetic. Yet, somehow Mani Palmer had made friends with him with no trouble at all. Actually, it seemed like Reno made friends easily; he was surrounded by people!

Rufus walked off, lest anyone catch him staring, but he couldn't get the image of the crowded table out of his mind. Reno had so many friends. Not that Rufus couldn't have been friends with most of them if he'd wanted to...Sacha liked him, but Sasha couldn't be encouraged! Being friends with Seb meant being around Sacha and that was...not an indulgence he could afford. Then Rufus wanted absolutely nothing to do with that little spoiled brat Asher. What was he doing hanging around Reno anyway? How could Reno stand him, he was so…so…privileged!

Rufus had first met Asher last year. He'd heard someone messing around on a piano in the practice room and he'd stuck his head in to see who was playing so terribly. Like they weren't even bothering with actually practising.

"What are you doing?" Rufus had asked. If Asher had replied "practising", Rufus would have lectured him on trying harder if he wanted to actually get anywhere. Didn't he know how lucky he was just to be able to play? To have time he could dedicate to practice without anyone to tell him no?

"I'm just messing around. If you wanted to use the room I can leave, I wasn't really working. I'm Asher Aspani, by the way."

Asher had offered his hand to shake, but Rufus hadn't taken it. No, Rufus didn't want the room, he didn't play music, not anymore, he had more important things to do, but if Asher was going to be in there he should at least appreciate it enough to actually work. Except, Rufus hadn't said any of those things and did his best to swallow his annoyance. He recognized Asher's surname straight away, and was bit curious about him.

"Rufus Shinra," Rufus replied. "So you're heir to the Aspani piano company, I take it? Do you like music?"

"Not really…well enough I guess," said Asher, "I wouldn't call myself a musician. I try to play occasionally; my mother would like it if I were more…passionate about music. She was a pianist before she joined the company. Now most of her time is spent on the business side of things."

"You like business then?" asked Rufus. "You'd rather do that than music? I suppose your parents approve." Wouldn't his father have loved a son like this, someone who already had their priorities straight without being told?

Asher had laughed. "I don't know if I'll be much good at business either. I don't know what I want to do with my life – well, aside from long-shot dreams. We're a bit young to know for sure, aren't we?"

Of course not! Rufus had been preparing to take over as Shin-Ra's president since as long as he could remember, if one disregarded the lapses when he had delusions of focusing on what made him 'happy'. But music was pointless, frivolous, and father expected more.

"Don't your parents care what you do with your life?" asked Rufus.

"Mother would have loved it if I pursued music, and father used to take me on digs with him as a kid, but that doesn't mean I want to be a paleontologist or a musician or even anything with the company. I just want to find something that makes me happy. Isn't that the most important thing? That's what my father says anyway."

Rufus had left after that. If he'd stayed one more minute he felt like he was about to explode. Asher lived in his little perfect world and had no idea how things worked for everything else in the real world where no one ever cared about what made you happy. Reno had grown up on the streets underplate; surely he'd get angry at Asher's 'everything's great my life is perfect' attitude and the way he didn't even appreciate how lucky-

Rufus took a deep breath and unclenched his fist. He was getting upset over nothing. Asher didn't matter. The only thing that mattered about Reno was beating him, and Rufus didn't want or need school friends. He just needed to get Reno to trust him, and maybe he was making progress. There was choice but to succeed.

X

Reno had expected to be full all day judging by the amount he'd eaten on the previous evening, but, having skipped breakfast, he found that he was hungry again by the end of Geography, so he munched on one of the bars Rufus had given him on his way to the Etiquette lesson, which was held in the girls' school. He followed Mani, Seb, Sacha and Raf along a path that ran from the main school along the side of the playing fields, ending at a gate manned by an armed guard.

"That's because of you," Seb told Reno. He didn't sound annoyed about it – if anything he seemed rather impressed. "After that race they stepped up security about a thousand fold. You wouldn't get under the fence now!"

Reno swallowed a bite of the chocolate bar, which was one of the best things he'd ever tasted, and grinned at Seb. "Yeah? Wanna bet? I made a career outta gettin' into places people wanted to keep me out of, yo!"

"A career!" sneered Sinclair, passing by with a group of his cronies and eavesdropping as usual, "Yes, I suppose that's what you would call it. Here on the plate, we prefer to call it criminal trespass."

"Oh fuck off, Sinclair," Seb said, before Reno could respond.

Sinclair only smiled. "I would have thought you'd be all for law and order, your old man being the Mayor and all," he said. "But then, I suppose everyone knows that he's just a puppet with Shinra's hand pulling the strings – or should I say up his –"

"Mr. Tudor-Whittington, I do not wish to hear the end of that sentence!" came a stern female voice from beyond the gate. The guard entered a code, and the gate opened with a low electric hum. Beyond the gate stood a tall, tweed-clad, elegant woman, her brown hair cut in a sharp bob, glaring at Sinclair out of steely eyes.

"Sorry, Mrs. Sloane," Sinclair smarmed. "I didn't see you there. I'd hate to add to your workload when you're going to have your hands full this term with our latest addition from the slums." He gestured with his thumb in Reno's direction. Reno had just started on the last of the candy bar, and his mouth was too full of chocolate to respond, which was probably fortunate.

"Please refrain from making such crude gestures," Mrs. Soane said to Sinclair, her gaze sweeping over Reno like a searchlight. "Or such crude generalizations. I have never found that the location of someone's birth provides much enlightenment as to what I can expect of his manners. Are we all here? Good. Then please be so good as to follow me to the hall."

The boys of 4B followed Mrs. Sloane meekly along another path and up a flight of stairs into a red brick building with arches and huge stained glass windows. A wood-paneled corridor led to a pair of studded oak doors, which opened onto a large hall with a high, beamed roof. On green plastic chairs arranged around two tables on one side of the hall sat twelve girls talking to each other. There was a brief silence as Mrs. Sloane led the boys into the room, and then a whispering and giggling. Reno made eye contact with Wanda, and winked. The whispering intensified.

"Girls!" Mrs. Sloane said, and silence fell. "Boys, be seated," she added. The boys took places around tables on the opposite side of the room to the girls. Reno found himself between Raphael and Rufus, facing Mani and the twins. From her table across the hall Wanda was giving him a pretty smile. The girls on either side of her were staring at him. In fact, all the other girls were staring at him too… Funny – he never got this much attention at his old school - but he wasn't about to complain, even if he did feel an unaccustomed embarrassment at the intensity of their combined gazes.

"Vivian, distribute these if you would be so kind." Mrs. Sloane handed a pile of work sheets to a willowy girl with pale blonde hair, who got to her feet with languid grace and gave a sheet to each student. When she reached Reno she paused, brushing her hair back over one shoulder and smiling a little, before handing him the paper and moving on.

Mrs. Slone gave the class twenty minutes to complete the worksheets "By way of revision, and to remind you of proper dining etiquette before formal dinner on Sunday". As soon as they were allowed to talk, Rufus said, "That was Vivian Vanderlace, giving out the worksheets. Half the boys in the fourth form are crazy about her, but she's only interested in SOLDIER. She runs the fan club fan club – we call it that to wind her up. No one has any chance with her unless his name's Sephiroth."

"Yeah – she's hot," said Reno.

"The girl next to her over there – with the ponytail – that's Freya Hunter. She's one of the best shots in the school. And next to her is Alexandria Aspani."

"Asher's sister," put in Raf. "But nothing like him, except in looks. She was voted 'most likely to rule the world' last year."

"Right," said Reno. "And who's the one next to her, with the curls and the - you know - _curves_?"

For some reason Rufus looked rather embarrassed. "That's Allegra Fortescue. I - met her once, at her brother's birthday party. And I don't know the new girl," Rufus said hastily, pretending to look at the worksheet.

"That's Wanda," Reno said. "Can't remember her last name. She was at my school."

Rufus looked at him. "Two scholarship students from the same school? That's – unusual."

Reno didn't reply, but he felt the same sense of unease as he had the last time Rufus had mentioned the scholarships. The more he heard about them, the more unlikely it seemed that he would have been given one. Frowning, he turned his attention to the worksheet. On it was a picture of what looked like a several plates, glasses and random assortments of cutlery scattered across a table. Each item had a letter next to it.

"I don't get it," Reno eventually confessed to Raf. "What're we supposed to do?"

"You have to write down what everything is," Raf said. "Hold on – I'll give you a hand in a minute."

"Nah – that's okay," Reno said, somewhat affronted. Raf seemed nice enough, but surely this was a task a five-year-old could manage without help?

Plate, plate, small plate, knife, knife, knife, knife, fork, fork, fork, fork, spoon, spoon, small spoon, glass, glass, glass, wrote Reno next to the appropriate letters.

Rufus glanced over at Reno's work. "Oh," he said, "no, that's not what –"

"What?" Reno asked, the challenge back in his eyes, an automatic reaction to Rufus' tone.

X

Rufus pushed his hair back in frustration and sighed. Did Reno have to take everything as an affront to his ability? Rufus had only been trying to help. Maybe he shouldn't bother if Reno was going to be so difficult about it. This 'making friends' thing was so frustrating!

Rufus took a calming breath and remembered what he'd read on negotiation techniques. Identify what you want: Reno's trust; identify your opponent's want…what did Reno want? Respect?

"Well, technically you're not wrong," said Rufus. "It's supposed to be more specific, here." He slid his completed worksheet, which he could have filled out in his sleep, towards Reno to show the labelled illustration.

A few moments later Mrs. Sloane leaned over. "Helping your classmate cheat, Rufus?"

Rufus looked up at the professor, un-intimidated by her stern demeanor, looking as innocent as an angel. "Of course not ma'am, I was merely explaining the assignment to our new classmate. He wasn't here last term so it's hardly fair to expect him to pass a pop quiz since he's yet to be introduced to the material. As one of your best students I feel it's my duty to help my peers."

Mrs. Sloane collected Reno's sheet and laughed softly. "You must be Mr. Flynn," she said, "I'll give you points for effort. Now, Rufus since you're keen to explain why don't you share your answers with the rest of the class. Go on. Stand up. Students, take out a red pen and copy down the correct answers. Rufus, if you are wrong I'll correct you."

"Okay - Dinner plate, salad plate, bread plate, bread knife, salad knife, meat knife, fish knife, fish fork, meat fork, salad fork, dessert fork, soup spoon, tea spoon, dessert spoon, white wine, red wine, water goblet," recited Rufus. He hated being called out like that; he didn't want Reno to think he was trying to show him up with knowledge of useless information.

X

Reno found a red pen in the pencil case he'd been given on arrival at the school, and tried to keep up with the list Rufus was spouting, but it was impossible. Throwing down the pen in disgust Reno looked up at Rufus. He didn't look pleased to be getting everything right – at least he lacked Sinclair's smugness – but there was a careless arrogance in his manner that got Reno's hackles up nonetheless.

When Rufus had finished his list Mrs. Sloane smiled thinly. "Perfectly accurate. And since you seem to have developed such a pleasing altruistic streak during the summer break, perhaps you'd like to continue to help Mr. Flynn with this class? I'll expect you to tutor him until he's up to speed on the basics. His progress, or lack thereof, will be reflected in your end-of-term report."

"Yes, ma'am," said Rufus, giving her a pleasant smile, while inside he was seething. He would have helped Reno anyway as it furthered his friendship plot, but now Reno would have reason to doubt his motives, since Mrs. Sloane had tied his end-of-term report to Reno's success. He took the seat next to Reno and tried to read Reno's expression.

Reno's mind was still reeling from the list of objects Rufus had recited so easily. How could there be so many different types of knives and forks? He was so busy wondering why the hell different coloured wines would need different types of glass, that he failed to register the teacher's words at first – but when he did he jumped to his feet, outraged. "No way!" he exclaimed. "I don't need no kid my age tellin' me stuff, yo! I mean, you're the teacher, yeah – so you teach stuff. Why the ffff – uh – why should I listen to him? I don't need to know that crap anyway, do I? Like – a knife's a knife, yeah? Don't know about this bunch a kids, but I don't have no trouble cutting whatever with one blade, know what I mean?"

Mrs. Sloane's eyes widened at Reno's outburst. The whole class fell silent for a moment before the silence was broken by hushed whispers from the girls who were all staring horrified, except for Wanda who had her face covered with the palm of her hand.

Reno understood at once that he'd gone too far. His immediate impulse was to walk out of the classroom, the school and the whole farce, but then he caught sight of Sinclair's grinning face and knew that Sinclair would like nothing better than for him to keep walking – right back to the factory where he doubtless believed the likes of Reno belonged.

"Look – I never meant that like it sounded," Reno said. "I'm sorry, okay? But – I ain't stupid. Just 'cause I don't know this kinda stuff, it don't mean I don't know other stuff, yeah?"

Reno sat down slowly, hoping he hadn't just blown it. He knew that if he wanted this chance – and the more people like Sinclair seemed determined to make him aware that he didn't deserve it, the more he did want it – then he would have to learn not to react to this kind of provocation. At least not in front of the teachers.

But if Rufus thought that Reno was going to give him an easy time and help him get good grades – well, he could just fork off. In spite of the seriousness of his situation, Reno had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself sniggering at his own joke.

Rufus had to do something to distract Mrs. Sloane from Reno. The last thing he wanted was to see his rival expelled before he had a chance to beat him. "I have to say that Reno does have a point," Rufus said. "Honestly, what is the use of knowing this kind of thing?"

Then the whispers began, as some of the students stared at the worksheet and nodded in agreement. Really, that many forks? Couldn't the servants just bring them the forks along side the food? Why memorize all the fork names and have it all laid out before hand?

Mrs. Sloane listened to Rufus, tight lipped. When he'd finished speaking she said very quietly, "Sit down." Walking to the front of the class, she waited for silence. It didn't take long.

"Mr. Flynn, you will see me after class. Only the fact that you seem to have a modicum of self-restraint and at least enough grace to apologize has prevented me from sending you directly to the head, but such behaviour will not go unpunished. As for you, Rufus - despite your unmannerly outburst, you have asked an interesting question. What is the point of learning these, frankly often absurd-seeming, social conventions? What possible reasons could there be for you – supposedly Midgar's crème de la crème – to be expected to grapple with such pointless trivialities? Why would your parents, many of whom are on the board of governors, have insisted that these lessons appear on the curriculum?" Her gaze swept the room. "Well? Anyone?"

Freya Hunter's hand shot up at the same time as Alexandria Aspani's, while Sinclair lazily raised his hand.

"So we can be the best?" said Freya. "Even at manners, there's nothing we shouldn't be able to do. Every skill is useful and worth mastering."

"To set us apart from street filth that would prefer to eat with their hands or off pocket knives?" ventured Sinclair, who was feeling surprisingly daring. "We're civilized, after all."

Alexandria sighed as though everyone else in the room were wasting her time when the answer was obvious. "Politeness shows consideration. People appreciate consideration. A good host or hostess should show consideration by laying out the right cutlery and a good guest should know which utensil or glasses to use. Rules may seem silly, but they provide a common code to which we all can adhere as a way to communicate our appreciation of tradition and each other."

"Thank you, Alexandrina," said Mrs. Sloane, relieved. "And Freya, close to the mark, as ever. Sinclair – well, civilization is certainly important, although merely being in this room is certainly no guarantee of that it seems. The key point is this – you – all of you – are, by virtue of your birth or your intelligence poised to become leaders not only in your chosen fields, but also in society. The Shinra Academies exist to further excellence and to produce young men and women who will set the standards to which the rest of the planet aspires. Manners and tradition may seem trivial, but they are part of what defines an elite as an elite. Is there anyone here who doesn't wish to be considered part of the elite?"

No one replied. Reno knew that Sinclair and some of his friends were staring at him, but he was already in trouble, and knew that any further disruption might well end his career at the school before it had begun. He shot a look over at Wanda, but her head was bowed. Reno vowed to himself that he was going to do whatever it took to get through the next two years. Almost everyone in the room probably thought he belonged in the factory, and that the scholarships were nothing more than an expensive PR exercise, but he was determined to prove them wrong.

"Good," said Mrs. Sloane. "Then I trust we can continue the lesson without further disruption. On your tables, I want you to come up with a list of suitable topics of conversation during a formal dinner, when you are seated next to a new acquaintance. You have ten minutes to compile a list, and then role-play one or two conversations with a partner, before we mix up the groups. Begin."

Reno was rather anxious about having to see the teacher after class and wondered what his punishment might be, but he wasn't about to show anyone that he cared, so he leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs, and grinned, aware that several of the girls were whispering about him, and glancing his way.

"Guess I could talk about how I got expelled from the Shinra Academy on day two," Reno said. "Anyone top that?"

X

Rufus felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't meant to get Reno in trouble, although he doubted he'd be expelled. The fact he felt bad made him feel a bit uncomfortable. He pushed the thought aside. He didn't want to lose his rival before he'd had a chance to carry out his plan. that was all, and it bothered him that his attempts at friendship had failed so spectacularly. Rufus hated failing at anything.

"Don't worry, you won't be expelled," said Raf, "they'd have marched you out straight away if that were the case. It'll just be some standard punishment." He adjusted his glasses.

Mani nodded, trying to look encouraging.

Levi, a good-looking boy whose parents were famous actors, and who rejoiced in the name 'Leviathan', shrugged and leaned over to join the conversation. "You should learn to keep your head down," he said, "seems you're the only thing anyone is going to be talking about."

Rufus focused on filling out his worksheet. Once it was done he looked at Reno. "I didn't mean anything by showing you my answers, just wanted to help. By the way, polite conversation means talking about anything boring that no one in their right mind would actually want to talk about, weather, sports, arts…that sort of thing."

"I want to talk about music," said Sacha. "Polite conversation can be something you want to talk about."

"As long as it's nothing anyone might disagree about," cautioned Seb, "or find troubling. You can talk about chocobos, but not if the person is a chocobo trader, you see?"

Rufus guessed Reno probably didn't care about acceptable conversation topics anymore than he cared about place setting rules. "Don't worry about conversation, just fill in the worksheet with boring topics and worry about who you want to dance with for the second half of the lesson." Girls would probably catch his interest, and maybe cheer him up.

"There are only twelve girls, and fourteen boys," said Seb, "so whoever doesn't get a partner has to dance with another boy to practice, which means one of you is assigned to be the girl so you have to do everything backwards."

Rufus took it upon himself to introduce some of the other girls. "Hot or not, I'd avoid Vivian and rest of her fan girls. They can be a bit…fanatical. Tyreena Walters is reasonable," Rufus pointed to a brown haired girl in thick rimmed glasses." She has some interests outside of how amazing she thinks Angeal is anyway. The blonde over there is Diamond Windler and the black haired girl beside her is Sapphire Windler, Di and Saphy are twins, both into Genesis but that's about all they agree on."

"They don't even agree on that," said Levi. "Don't get them started on it. Di is interested in Genesis for his personality, Saphy just fancies him because she likes how he looks in leather. Really, don't get Saphy started on that."

"Oh, no need to be harsh on Saphy;" said Cassian, "Saphy admires Genesis as an attractive young man, whereas Di is under the delusion Loveless is interesting."

"All of them try to recruit people to the General SOLDIER fanclub of theirs," said Levi, "that's why we know all this. You'd be safer dancing with any of the other girls."

"Freya doesn't make me feel safe," said Mani. "Don't know what it is, but that girl is kinda scary."

"It's obvious what it is," said Rufus. "She'd kill anyone who came in between her and her goal. Vivian thinks she's important because she runs the fan club, but Alexandria and Freya are tied for most ambitious."

"We're all ambitious," said Levi. "Freya and Alex aren't nearly as disturbing as the fan club. Little Miss President told us all about the clubs trying to recruit more members, but it's mostly just a club for them squeeing over SOLDIER fan art so there's not really much of an appeal."

"For some of you," said Cas. "So what - they find the SOLDIERS attractive."

"They write stories about them hooking up," said Levi. "Di showed me her notebook. It was about Genesis as the main character of Loveless, but Sephiroth was his err…love interest?"

"Ugh," said Rufus. "I've met them! Thinking about that is a bit awkward. I wonder if they've ever read any of those stories?" He decided then and there that he was NEVER going to ask. Huh, this was strange, joining in on these trivial conversations and actually, somewhat enjoying it.


	8. Chapter 8: Dances and Discipline

Chapter 8 Dance and Discipline

In due course, Mrs. Sloane announced that their dancing master, Mr. Parkinson, had arrived. "All right, everyone find a partner."

Cassian stood and offered Raf his hand. "May I have this dance?" he said. "The others can fight over the girls - I just want to get this lesson out of the way."

Rufus watched as a gaggle of giggling girls headed their way. It seemed like it would be less the boys fighting over the girls and more the girls fighting over Reno. They were all staring at him and whispering to each other or laughing. Alexandria came forward first.

"Hello," she said, offering her hand. "You must be Reno. My baby brother has told me so much about you. He's taken quite the shine to you. I know it's long way off, but if you don't have any plans for the holiday you're welcome to join us up in Bone Village. We'll probably head up to Icicle for skiing, it will be lovely."

Rufus watched Alexandria. Reno was popular with girls, an object of curiosity and interest, so naturally she was going to establish a connection. She would take what others wanted. It annoyed him. They only wanted him because he was a shiny new toy that would look on their arm. He doubted they actually appreciated Reno on his own merits. Alex turned her attention to Rufus, perhaps noticing his gaze.

"Oh Rufus, wonderful to see you again. How was your summer?" she said. "Oh, I suppose we don't have much time to chat. Would you like to dance with me again?" Reno might be a curiosity, but _he_ was Rufus Shinra, and was of course the most important connection to keep. Only the best for Alex. Unfortunately for her, Rufus didn't feel like being her prize.

"I think I'll give a new partner a try," he said. He made a beeline for Wanda. He took her hand, kissed it and introduced himself. "Rufus Shinra, pleasure to meet you. May I have this dance?"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room and out of earshot, Reno was being swarmed by girls. Although Rufus couldn't hear what was being said, he imagined Reno had his pick of partners. Not that Rufus cared or anything. It wasn't as if he'd like to dance with Reno, unlike Cassian Rufus wouldn't flippantly ask another boy to dance and certainly not Reno. Rufus would bet cash gil Reno was a clueless dancer, but then again he did seem to have a sort of effortless grace about him, almost like a cat.

X

Reno had been planning on asking Wanda to dance, but she was nowhere to be seen in the crowd of girls now surrounding him. He was surprised when Asher's sister introduced herself, seeming very friendly, and asked him to spend the Yule holidays with her family at Bone Village. That was somewhere on the Northern Continent wasn't it? Reno wasn't sure what to say – he liked Asher, and the idea of going abroad was exciting – he'd never left Midgar in his life. But he wasn't sure what to make of Asher's sister or her offer, especially when she turned away without waiting for a reply and started talking to Rufus instead. He didn't have long to think about it in any case. A very pretty, tall girl with long dark hair pushed through to the front of the group, and before Reno had a chance to open his mouth, she said, "Hi, Reno, I'm Saphy. I adore your hair! Will you dance with me?"

"That's not fair!" a striking blonde girl pouted. "Just 'cause you're the bossiest!"

"Oh shut up, Di. You don't care about looks – that's what you're always telling everyone. I get first pick of any hot redheads around here!" Saphy smiled at Reno, and he couldn't help smiling back. The fact that Rufus and Levi had effectively warned him off the notorious Genesis-obsessed twins didn't deter him in the slightest.

"Bet you look good in leather," Saphy added, grabbing Reno's wrist and all but dragging him onto the floor in a manner Mrs. Sloane would certainly have had something to say about, if she'd noticed, but luckily she was too busy seating herself at the piano and finding the correct music.

"Have to tell ya," Reno said, as Saphy pulled him into a spot on the floor with plenty of room around them, "I don't do this kinda dancin' yo!"

Saphy smiled, took hold of both his hands, and placed them firmly where they needed to go – his left high on her back, his right in hers. "Just follow me, and put your feet just in front of mine," she told him. "You'll be fine."

Reno thought that if this girl ever did succeed in getting hold of Genesis, the SOLDIER wouldn't stand a chance. She certainly knew what she was doing when it came to dancing, he had to admit. The music was terrible – Mrs. Sloane was hammering out a tune on the tinny upright piano in the corner of the room, and Reno would have laughed, but Saphy was leading him around the room and he was too busy concentrating. The dance didn't take long to learn, as it turned out – compared to Jai's the choreography was easy and repetitive. Just when he thought he'd nailed it, Saphy said, "See – knew you'd pick it up. Now we have to work on turns, and your posture. You need to keep your elbow up, and glide. You're way too bouncy. Have a look at Rufus or Cass, they're good."

Reno glanced across at Rufus, who was now dancing with Wanda. Saphy was right – they looked good together. He could see what she meant about gliding. How come Wanda was so good at turns already? Determined not to be the worst in the room, Reno focused. By the end of the lesson he was dancing reasonably well. The dancing master, Mr. Parkinson, seemed happy. "Mani – try not to count out loud. Miss Aspani – beautifully danced, as always. Rufus and Cassian – good. Wanda, and Reno – creditable performances for your first attempts. Well, I'm encouraged. Perhaps there's hope for 4B after all!"

Saphy smiled at Reno following her final curtsy. "You're good. And you know, if you let your hair grow out a little and lay off the gel, you could even look a bit like Genesis! Have you ever thought of joining SOLDIER? Come on –" She pulled Reno over to the tables at the side of the room and scribbled a number on a piece of paper. "Call me," she said.

Reno didn't like to point out that he didn't have a phone. He wondered if there might be a school phone students could use.

Saphy waved as she rejoined the other girls on their side of the hall. Mrs. Sloane emerged from behind the piano.

"Thank you, Mr. Parkinson. Class, please make sure you revise correct dining etiquette before the first formal dinner on Sunday. Mr. Flynn – remain behind please. Class, dismissed."

The girls filed out of the hall through a side door, many of them smiling at Reno as they went. Saphy waved again.

Mani gave Reno a concerned glance as he left with the other boys through the main door. Victor said something to Sinclair, who looked pointedly at Reno and sneered. Rufus seemed on the point of saying something, but Mrs. Sloane waved an impatient hand at the boys and he turned away, leaving the room behind Sacha and Seb.

When the hall was empty, Mrs. Sloane folded her arms across her chest and assumed a serious expression. "Reno. I hope you understand why you simply cannot behave like that in lessons? It wasn't only the language you used –"

"I never said fuck!" Reno interrupted. "I nearly did, but I didn't!"

"I was referring to the word 'crap'," Mrs. Sloane explained with a long-suffering air.

"Crap ain't a curse!" Reno exclaimed, genuinely confused. "C'mon, Mrs. S – who don't say crap?"

"I'd really rather you didn't call me 'Mrs. S'. And I, for one, don't say 'crap'."

"But you jus' –" Reno started, then thought better of it. Mrs. Sloane's mouth underwent a strange contortion, and for a second Reno thought she was going to laugh, but in the event she only sighed and said, "In any case, the real problem with your little outburst was the implied threat."

Reno nodded, fully serious, now. "I know. But I never meant it like that. It's just – you can't expect me to learn this stuff from Rufus! That ain't fair!"

"We encourage peer to peer learning, and Rufus is well-versed in etiquette. I expect to hear that you've been cooperative. Now, as to your punishment – I've decided that I'll let the comment about the knife go, on the understanding that nothing like that will ever happen again. But a serious misdemeanour needs a punishment you'll remember. Take this slip to your housemaster immediately – before you go to lunch."

Reno took the piece of paper she held out to him. It was a small square slip, with 'disruptive answering back, 6x' written on it.

"I never answered back six times!" Reno cried.

"No – that's the punishment," Mrs. Sloane explained. "Six strokes of the cane. It's quite lenient, in the circumstances."

"He's gonna hit me?" Reno asked, turning very pale.

"Yes – it's a standard punishment. If I reported your actual words to the head, you'd almost certainly be expelled."

All pretence of nonchalance had vanished from Reno. Eyes on the floor, he muttered, "Yeah – yeah I know. Okay."

Mrs. Sloane's voice was a touch too breezy as she said, "Chin up, Reno! You strike me as a plucky boy. Best get it over with, yes? Yes. Off you go."

Reno tried to keep his chin up as he walked out of the hall, but as soon as he got outside, his shoulders slumped. All along his back the old scars suddenly seemed to throb in anticipation of familiar pain.

The walk back along the path to the boys' school was too long – gave him too much time to remember. How bad would this punishment be? If this was privilege, the rich kids could keep it. No one was ever physically punished at schools under the plate; if you behaved inappropriately three times you were expelled, and not even the factories would take you without your certificate. The general attitude underside was that education was up to you – if you chose to squander it you would be left to fend for yourself.

Would Mr. Parson's cane be as bad as Marco's? Where would the blows fall? Six strokes on his legs or buttocks he could take - for Marco six would barely count as warming up – but on the back it might break ribs again. A school wouldn't allow staff to hit your head, surely? None of the other boys looked bruised – but bruises were easy to hide, and it was only the second day of a new term.

_Won't be like Marco_, Reno told himself. _These boys – their parents wouldn't let it happen if it was that bad. Even Mom moved us on after that last time. An' I've grown since then. I'm not a runty little kid any more. Plus, Parsons is old. It'll be okay._

Still, by the time Reno reached the corridor leading to the staffroom, he was trembling. When he turned the corner he was surprised to see Rufus waiting by the staffroom door.

X

When class ended Rufus watched Reno wait behind, wishing there was something he could do. Rufus was all but certain Reno wouldn't be expelled but hated to see him get in trouble. Had it really been his fault? Rufus hadn't meant to antagonize him. Honestly, he was working very hard to be friendly. Why was the prospect of free tutoring so upsetting?

All the same, Rufus felt he owed Reno an apology. A Shinra never apologized, of course, but a friend should and his current plan required Reno to think of him as a friend. It was just acting, so that meant it should be fine to say he was sorry. The fact he actively wanted to apologize just meant he was deep acting. He didn't actually care. Why should he?

Rufus knew Mrs. Sloane would most likely send Reno to Mr. Parsons for punishment, so he waited outside the staffroom for Reno to arrive. He replayed the lesson in his head trying to decide what he'd done to make Reno so set against his help.

Oh well, at least the day hadn't been a total waste; his dance partner had proved to be a useful source of information, when she wasn't swooning over him. Rufus rolled his eyes at the memory. Girls were so easy to manipulate, even the smart ones.

Things had started out promisingly enough. She hadn't blushed when he kissed her hand, instead she seemed as though she was about to laugh out loud at the over the top gesture. Then his name registered.

"Oh!" she cried. "Oh, Wanda, my name, its Wanda and I mean yes – yes, um – thank you – I'd love to dance with _you."_ Then the blushing had started.

"I'm sure you would," Rufus deadpanned as he led her to the center of the room. He was a bit annoyed at her emphasis on him. Right, was there anyone on the planet who didn't care who his father was? Or maybe for her it was just about the money? No, that was harsh, just because she was poor.

"I'm afraid I'm not very good at this sort of dancing," the girl babbled, interrupting Rufus's thoughts, apparently oblivious to his rude remark. "I had three lessons before I came here, but that's it." She smiled at him and said with confidence. "I'm usually a quick learner, though."

"You've had lessons?" he asked, a bit surprised. It didn't seem the sort of thing they prioritized in the slums. "Well that's a start. I lead, so it shouldn't be too bad, just let me guide you, follow my steps. It's one two three if you need to keep count." He placed a hand on her waist and took her other hand as the class prepared for the waltz to begin. He tried not to visibly cringe at Mrs. Sloane's torturing the innocent piano.

"My Mom saved up for me, when I got the scholarship," Wanda explained. "There was a list of things we should know in the brochure. I couldn't do much about chocobo riding or playing lacrosse, but there are quite a lot of dance schools under the plate. Dancing and working out at the gym - those are what people do in their free time."

"Well, I can't speak for playing lacrosse, but I could help you with riding. Although I don't suppose boys and girls are allowed to meet in private. What a shame." This girl was from Reno's school; she would probably be a good source of information on him if he could get on her good side. "You must be very clever to get a scholarship, and hard working. It's strange, Reno didn't seem nearly as prepared, though I've done my best to help him."

Wanda shook her head. "I know! Reno was never interested in studying as far as I could tell. I mean, he was a laugh – don't get me wrong – but I never knew what he was doing in the scholarship group. Spent most of his time with Jai and their gang. He must've been good though, right, or he wouldn't have got in here? He was always good at Maths. Maths, and making smart comments, and, I heard, skateboarding."

"Was he always in the scholarship group? Is that like the honors section?" asked Rufus, feigning mild interest.

"Oh – no," Wanda replied. She looked at the ground, obviously trying to keep count with the steps in her head. "No – he only joined the class for the last few months. I figured they must have decided to take a chance on him, because of the maths. He didn't even seem to know what he was doing there. When the head called us in to tell us we'd won the scholarship, I think he thought he was there because he was in trouble for something!"

Rufus held her a little closer, and guided her more firmly. "Just relax, listen to the music," he whispered, "I've got you." In addition to being a good informant this girl might be useful if father ever started on him about having a girl friend. Father would inevitably object due to her background, the press would have a field day over Midgar's prince dating a slum girl, and once Rufus was forced to break it off he could refuse to date anyone else out of spite and teenage love sickness for Wanda. A much more acceptable reason for his disinterest in girls than his actual lack of interest. "Out of curiosity, he wasn't added to the class around Spring Break of last year was he?"

The girl didn't answer, instead she just stared at him with most ridiculous goo-goo eyed look as though Rufus whispering in her ear had somehow made her brain short circuit.

"Um – yes, I guess so," Wanda replied, dreamily. "You dance really well…"

It wasn't that Rufus disliked girls, there were plenty of girls in the Turks and he didn't mind them, but the girls his age always seemed so ridiculous. Though he supposed he somewhat enjoyed his ability to wrap them around his finger. Charm could be useful, he was sure of it. But the distraction he apparently caused made it difficult to get more out of her about Reno. Though her words did further confirm his theory. He should have asked her if Reno was always so abrasive and reluctant to accept help or if it was something personal.

Although he supposed he could just ask Reno himself. Sure enough, the redhead rounded the corner. Rufus greeted him with a quiet, "Hey?" Then he looked at Reno. He was white as a sheet and shaking.

X

"Are you all right?" asked Rufus.

Reno looked at Rufus as if he hardly recognised him. All he said was, "Yeah. I'm fine," before walking straight past, drawing in a breath, and knocking firmly on the staffroom door.

Dr. Counts opened the door to Reno's knock. "Yes, boy? Not in trouble already I hope?"

Reno nodded miserably. "Been told to see Parsons."

"I take it that you are attempting to convey the idea that you would like me to inform _Mr._ Parsons that you wish to see him?"

"Yeah."

"Then stand up straight, boy, and kindly address me as Sir."

Wearily, Reno put his shoulders back. "Yes, Sir, can I please see Mr. Parsons, Sir, thanks, Sir."

Dr. Counts' eyes narrowed. He suspected defiance, but he recalled that the boy was new to the school and a decent mathematician, so he let it go with a sigh. "Yes, yes – no need to go overboard." The staffroom door closed in Reno's face.

Reno waited, thinking about Marco and that last time. Waking in the middle of the night, seven-year-old Reno hadn't known his mom had company. She'd been seeing Marco on and off for nearly a year, but he hardly ever stayed over. Sometimes Reno knew he'd been in the apartment during the day by the smell of stale cigarette smoke in the air when he came home from school. When Marco visited Mom, Reno knew to keep out of the way if he didn't want a cuff around the head or worse. He hadn't meant to walk in on them that night – if he'd been properly awake he might have realised – the crushed beer cans by the sink, the smell of smoke – but he'd gone wandering into the bedroom like an idiot, and –

The staffroom door creaked open. "Reno Flynn," Mr. Parsons said, shaking his head. "In trouble already?"

"Yes, Sir." Reno handed over Mrs. Sloane's note.

"For answering back?"

"Yeah. Yes. Sir."

"Oh dear. Well, well, come along then. Best get it over with, hm?"

Reno followed his housemaster along the corridor to Mr. Parson's office. Although he was more nervous than he'd ever admit, he made himself slouch, jammed his hands into the pockets of his blazer, and grinned or rolled his eyes at every boy he passed, as though the idea of getting the cane was nothing but some kind of lame teacher joke.

Mr. Parsons closed the door behind them, and Reno had to fight down an impulse to yank it open again and run.


	9. Chapter 9: My Fair Gentleman

Chapter 9 My Fair Gentleman

Parsons took the cane from the top of the bookshelf behind his desk and Reno almost laughed aloud with relief. The cane was nothing but a thin piece of what looked like some kind of wood, no thicker than Reno's little finger. Nothing at all like Marco's collapsible metal rod. This barely qualified as a weapon.

"Hold out your hand," Parsons said. There was none of the eager anticipation Reno had always seen in Marco's eyes before a beating. Mr. Parsons looked bored, or perhaps vaguely disappointed that one of his boys was in trouble so early in the term.

Reno held out his right hand, hoping that Parsons didn't know, or wouldn't remember, that he was left-handed. "Palm up," Parsons said, with a faint look of distaste, as though Reno's failure to know how to take the punishment was some sort of social gaffe. Reno couldn't help wondering whether 'the correct way of getting the cane' was one of the things they were going to cover in etiquette lessons.

The cane made an alarming swish as it cut through the air and the sting of the blow was eye-watering, but the pain was brief and, more importantly, predictable. Reno's fears evaporated. Parsons delivered the six blows quickly and put the cane back onto the bookcase. Reno looked at the red lines on his palm with mild curiosity and no resentment.

"You don't strike me as a fool, Reno, so please try to restrain yourself from insolent answering back in the future," Parsons said. "You've been given a chance not many people from your background ever get. It would be a waste to throw it away because you can't learn to keep your mouth shut."

No one had ever accused Reno of being a slow learner. "Yes, Sir," was all he said.

"Very well. Off you go."

Reno left the office, closing the door behind him. The first person he saw was Rufus, leaning against the wall as though he'd been waiting for Reno to appear. What was up with this guy anyway? Was he stalking Reno or something?

X

Rufus was a bit annoyed when Reno barely registered his presence. He'd gone out of his way to come apologize, something he was loathe to do under most circumstances, and Reno just breezed right past him. He'd also lied. Reno certainly didn't_ look_ fine. Rufus supposed he'd yet to attain a friendship level that would include honesty or opening up. Actually, Rufus wasn't sure if Reno considered him anything more than not an enemy. His reaction to Rufus being assigned as his tutor had hardly been friendly.

How the hell was he supposed to trick Reno into being his friend when he was being so difficult!

Rufus had no choice but to wait until after the punishment was administered to talk to Reno. Moving to lurk in front of the chocobo head's office. All this lurking about and following was probably a bit overboard, but didn't friends stay by each other? That was the friendly thing to do, wasn't it?

When Reno came out he seemed in much better spirits, which was strange..Reno held up his striped palm and grinned at Rufus. Did he like pain or something? Or maybe it was better to have it over with, who knew? Maybe it was just bravado?

"That was nothin'," said Reno, his voice dripping with scorn. "Hardly felt it. What the hell's that supposed to teach, anyway?"

"Not to question authority. Fear keeps people in line and most people fear pain. Now everyone knows you've been caned, so you'll serve as a warning," said Rufus, though his words held a certain amused sarcasm. "I'm glad you're all right though, I was worried." Friends worried about each other, saying he was worried would win him some points, surely.

Reno crossed his arms and huffed. "Course I'm fine," he snapped, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Rufus hadn't expected hostility. All he'd done was try to be nice but clearly Reno didn't appreciate or deserve his concern. "Fine, forget I asked!" said Rufus. He turned away only to stop himself. He had to remember his mission. He turned to face Reno again. "Look, do you have a problem with me or something?"

Reno shrugged. "No - 'slong as you ain't seriously thinkin' of goin' along with old Moan's plan to teach me shit. But I don't get why you're bothered. And all that candy…" Reno paused, his tone softening. "Yeah - well - that was okay. Weird - but okay. I like the ones with all the little holes in."

Rufus took a deep breath. Reno did realize that his grade was on the line too now, didn't he? But that wasn't the point. Then he brought up the candy and it was all Rufus could do to keep from blushing. "I hope it wasn't too much. I'm not used to…apologizing to people and I wanted to make up for how I'd acted before… I hoped we could put that behind us. Why are you so set against my help with etiquette anyway?"

"I'm not stupid," Reno said, "that's why. If Sinclair - you know - found out… Like, all that stuff is basic to you, ain't it? Like that kid's book Parson's gave me in Cetran."

"Not knowing something doesn't make you stupid, I'm sure you know a lot of things I don't and a hell of a lot more than Sinclair. The only thing stupid is refusing to learn. Sinclair already expects you to fail etiquette, but with a little work you can show him. So what do you say?" asked Rufus, before laughing. This turn of events was a bit ridiculous, like something out of a Loveless Avenue musical.

"What's so funny?" asked Reno.

"Just this, doesn't it sound like the plot of a play? Except if it were a play you'd be a girl and we'd fall in love at the end because musicals are so clichéd."

"Yeah - are you gay or something'?" Reno asked.

"No," said Rufus, practically spitting the word. "I'm _cultured_."

"_Right_."

"Don't be stupid, you're starting to sound like Sinclair."

Reno scowled. "I ain't nothing' like Sinclair. But - why would you say shit like that, huh? And why do I get to be the girl? You look more like a girl than I do, yo!"

"It was a fucking joke," said Rufus, "because this whole situation's ridiculous, me teaching you how to be a gentlemen. What are you getting so defensive for anyway? Besides, _Wanda_ seemed to like me well enough, she was practically swooning."

Reno sniffed. "Huh. Thought Wanda had more sense."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Rufus.

"Didn't mean nothin'. Only - didn't see Wanda as the swooning type. She's - okay, you know? And- what's ridiculous? You sayin' I can't learn to be a friggin' 'gentleman'? 'Cause I could - if I wanted."

Right, he didn't mean anything. Like Rufus believed that for an instant. Rufus was about to say _well, good luck with that_ and walk off. His grades were good enough that it didn't matter if he helped Reno or not. But then…he was supposed to be gaining Reno's trust. "All right then, prove it. Let me help you. The look on Sinclair's face will be worth it." And unless he seemed too nice. "But at some point you'll have to do something for me. You said you could get past the security, right?"

"Yeah…I can bypass security, I reckon. So - what's the deal? I make everyone just about choke on their fuckin' _soup_ spoons when I know what I'm doin' at that dinner, and in return…?

"You get me out of here," said Rufus. It seemed it would be easier on Reno's pride if the tutoring were a trade instead of a gift. Reno wanted his ego stroked, so Rufus needed to ask for something he could do and Rufus could think of nothing he'd like more than to get out. "Just for an afternoon or something. No one ever lets me do anything on my own. I would be nice to see what my city is actually like. I've lived in Midgar for most of my life but I've only really seen it through windows and never without an escort. So that's the deal, I help you with this and you help me escape."

Reno stared at Rufus in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? What - you ain't allowed out on your own? Your folks worried you're gonna get kidnapped or somethin'? Fuck - couldn't live like that! But - what when you want to hang out with your friends, huh? Meet girls? You can't be all, like, 'chauffeur - take me cruising for hot chicks' or shit? Sounds like you need help, man!

Rufus just blinked at him. "Kidnapped, killed," said Rufus, "my father isn't exactly popular with everyone. I'm expected to socialize at school and events. They're boring as anything though. I don't think my bodyguards would let chicks get anywhere near me."

"Bodyguards, huh?" Reno said, trying not to sound impressed. "Guess your old man's really loaded! Some big business tycoon is he? So _that's_ why they set those fuckin' dogs on me! Okay - it's a deal. I'll do the lessons - just to piss off Sinclair, yeah? And I'll get you out of here, and we can go underside and have some fun. Sounds like you need some! There's this place called the Honeybee Inn in Sector Six - if we could sneak in there... Buzzin' with chicks. Honeybees. Whatever."

Rufus frowned and looked away, like maybe he was having second thoughts.

"You ain't scared of a little trouble are you?"

"So long as we can get out and get back without getting caught," said Rufus. He brought a hand to his chin and began to pace. "We'll also have to make sure no one recognizes me or guesses I don't belong. Right then, I'll teach you to pass as a gentlemen and you teach me to pass as a slum kid."

Reno couldn't help laughing at that notion. "Well - okay. But that ain't gonna be a breeze."

"Neither will teaching you manners, that's what makes it a fair trade," said Rufus. He sighed, "Sorry, I just don't like the suggestion that I can't do it."

"Not sayin' you _can't_," Reno replied. "Only that it won't be easy. For a start you look all wrong, but we can fix most of that, if you don't mind messing around with your hair some. But you don't talk like one of us, and you sure as hell don't act like one of us."

"I think it would be best if we cover my hair entirely," said Rufus, "I can't be recognized, remember? If we had a wig or something that would be perfect. No one would recognize me. But in lieu of robbing the theater department what if I wore a hooded jacket or a hat, cover it all up. As for my manner of speech...uh, well let's begin lessons over lunch? Shall we?"

Rufus started off towards the refectory, and after a moment's hesitation, Reno followed him. "Lunch already?" he asked as they made their way along the panelled corridor.

"So...do they not eat in the slums?" asked Rufus. "I mean, no offense, but you seemed surprised that there's food."

"No, I starved to death when I was ten," Reno said, without missing a beat. Then he grinned. "It's just there's so much friggin' food here. The amount they put on your plate-"

"You caught us, we're actually fattening you up for a ritual sacrifice, that's how Mako works," Rufus dead panned. He shrugged. "Honestly, I don't get the portion sizes. I can never finish. Father used to yell at me at home about not cleaning my plate. Said I'd be a midget forever if I didn't eat, but I feel sick if I force myself."

"Really? I don't feel sick, just like if I eat anything else I'm gonna explode. And you ain't a midget. Just - you know - kinda small."

"You're not helping," said Rufus. "My dad's huge and my- his other kid's tall like him. I look like my mom." He frowned then. "It doesn't matter though, even if I look like a girl people will never say anything to me about it, they'll be too afraid."

"Yeah," Reno laughed. "Right. Terrified."

Rufus flipped back his hair and huffed slightly as he went to pick up his tray. "Is that really so funny? Honestly, I'm surprised you - well, actually, I appreciate that you don't treat me differently than anyone else. I'm not quite used to that, but it's nice."

Reno looked at Rufus in frank disbelief. This kid really seemed to think he was hot shit. "How d'you want me to treat you then, your royalness?" Reno asked, his attention on the food laid out in front of him.

Rufus rolled his eyes, but couldn't keep from laughing. He picked up the hot tuna sandwich and a carton of juice. "You really don't care about anything do you?" asked Rufus lightly. "Must be nice."

Reno wasn't sure exactly what Rufus was getting at. Sure he cared about stuff - getting one of those hot twins to date him - not getting kicked out of school so that he'd have to start work in the factory - making sure that Sinclair got what was coming to him. He cared about all those things, he just wasn't about to let anyone else see that. So he shrugged, and said, "No point worryin' yo! What's that stuff in the sandwich?"

"I don't worry, I have concerns and I plan in order to address those concerns," said Rufus, "it's tuna fish, I think, with swiss and a tomato. I like toasted sandwiches. Wait - but to be clear, you do know who I am, right?"

Reno was wondering what the hell tuna fish tasted like, and not really listening to Rufus, who seemed to be going on about how he was better than everyone else again, with his 'plans' and his 'concerns'. " 'Course," Reno said, when it seemed that Rufus had asked him a question. "So - tuna fish is the same as actual normal fish, yeah? Like, from the sea?"

"Yes, that's why it's called _fish_," said Rufus. "They're huge, father took me fishing on his yacht once. It was awful."

"Why?" Reno asked, taking a sandwich, and sniffing it suspiciously. "Smells like normal fish. Didn't know there were different types. Just - you know - Shinra Fish."

"I think he only brought me along to show off his yacht and spend time with La- his other kid, and I was dragged along? Or do you mean why was it awful? Well for one thing, the fish are so huge you have to use big machine reels to get them, which were manned by other people so it was more a lot of sitting around in the sun. Then again, I guess you'd like that - Wait? What's Shinra Fish? I think that's a product, not a type of fish, although it might be made out of fish. Shinra Food products are basically what they make cheap and sell in the slums to keep people from starving and still profit because they sell it for more than they make it. Which begs the question, what do they make it out of...honestly it's probably the same as cat food."

"No - cats eat rats and shit. Shinra Fish is just canned fish, like any other Shinra food."

"Cats eat fish out of cans," said Rufus, "at least all the cats I've seen. I don't know, I don't have a cat. I want a guard hound."

Reno laughed again. "Yeah, yeah. Cats eat fish out of cans! What - they open them with their little claws, huh?"

The two sat down with their trays. "Their owners feed them," said Rufus. He flipped open his PHS and searched the internet for 'cat food' bringing up a picture of a fluffy white cat seated on a pillow in front of an open tin of kitty food. "It's either canned fish or meat pate, their are different flavors. Allegra Fortescue had a cat, I remember her going on about it; she treated the thing like a doll."

"Okay," said Reno through a mouthful of tuna sandwich, "for starters - that is not a cat, it's a fuckin' pillow fucking another pillow - and for another thing no one sane would give proper food to a cat! Or want a guard hound as a pet, come to that. Are you crazy?"

"What's wrong with guard hounds?" asked Rufus. "Better than a lap dog. I wouldn't want a little yappy thing. I want a useful animal. Guard Hounds are loyal, intelligent, and trainable."

"Yeah - and when they bite it's like catching yourself on razor wire, only worse."

" That's the point, my guard hound won't bite me, it will bite my enemies," said Rufus. "They're very protective. That's why I like animals, they can belong to only you."

" I like cats - real cats, I mean - not that fluffy shit.. They don't belong to anyone."

"If I had a real cat it would belong to me," said Rufus, "it would let me pet it and it would stay by my side and not let anyone else near it."

"Yeah - 'til someone else comes along with more fish," said Reno cynically. " Anyway - what enemies are your guard hounds going to bite? You planning on setting them on Sinclair?"

"Sinclair isn't an enemy, Sinclair is an annoyance," said Rufus. "I mean real enemies- those who oppose my interests and the greater good of the world. I'm not sure who that is, but I'll look into it," he said nodding.

Reno laughed, finishing the last of his sandwich. "Ah, hell, Rufus, you're so full of shit! That was good. Different from Shinra Fish. More like meat or something."

"What is Shinra Fish like exactly...I think I'm going to look into that as well," Rufus said making a face. "Right then, so we were going to discuss how I can pass as a slum kid. So slouching and cussing?"

"Yep, that's pretty much it," Reno said, the edge creeping back into his voice again. "Oh - and don't forget stealing and lying, and taking out anyone who looks at you the wrong way, yeah?"

Rufus drummed his fingers on the table. He wasn't quite sure if he'd said something to piss Reno off and if so what it was, or if Reno was being honest. "I'm just saying I don't see that much a difference between you and me, other than diction and posture."

"Don'tcha? Okay." Reno wasn't about to admit that he had no idea what 'diction' was, especially not after the pudding episode, so he waited to see what Rufus would say next.

"If you'd been born to my parents you'd be the same as me, and if I'd been born in the slums I'd be the same as you. Well, no I'd probably have a plan to claw my way to the top, but maybe you do. But my point is, it's all what we learn, so teach me."

"Yeah - well, I don't know about _clawing _- but I don't reckon it's the same. Yeah - it's what you learn, but coming from under the plate ain't the same as knowing what spoon to use at dinner. I mean - what can I teach you? You can try to put on the accent, but you'll most likely give yourself away the minute you do. Like - we hear you lot speak all the time, on TV or whatever, but you don't hardly ever hear _us_."

""I hear you," said Rufus, affecting a slum accent, "'sides, one of my bodyguards was slum. They take all sorts, guys and wom - bitches. Is that how you refer to women? Bitches?"

Reno sniggered. "Yeah, yeah. Try it on Wanda next time you see her. She does Wutai kick boxing."

"Right, so still impolite," said Rufus. "Then what is it you call girls? Chocobos? Chicks that it. Chicks. Right, anyway, all types, guys, chicks, slum, plate, and even Wutai. I know lots of people and I can pick up how they talk, right?"

"Yeah. You're a star. But, for now, maybe best if you just keep your head down and your mouth shut. You know - if you want to survive."

Rufus sighed and took another bite of his meal. When he finished he said, "All right, I can do that, so how about instead of teaching me to pass you just get me in and out without dying while I do my best not to call any attention to myself. Unfortunately, to pass etiquette you will have to learn to speak properly. Repeat after me 'Elenora of Banora lives with her sister Flora."

Reno gave Rufus a hard stare. "Why the hell would I wanna do that?" he asked.

Rufus sighed and shook his head. "Maybe we'll stick with learning cutlery."


	10. Chapter 10: Dinner Not a Date

Chapter 10: Dinner, Not a Date

Rufus didn't think teaching Reno to be a gentlemen would be too difficult. Reno was in fact quite intelligent and likely a fast learner. The best way to learn would be by doing, and so Rufus devised a plan.

The next morning at breakfast he handed Reno several books on etiquette he'd had delivered from a store in Midgar and a set of flashcards he'd made himself by printing out pictures of place settings on card stock. He'd taken time to print the flash cards, linking up the paper to print so that the answers were on one side and the picture on the other, then he'd gone through with a red pen and circled the object Reno should name. Cutting everything out had been the most time consuming bit. He'd taken pictures of his work and marked down when he'd done it and how long it took on a document he planned to hand to Mrs. Sloane at the end of the semester. Even if Reno did somehow manage to fail, evidence of Rufus's diligence would have to count for something.

"Those are your additional study materials," said Rufus. "Learn table manners and place settings. I'm going to quiz you Saturday. Meet me before dinner in the refectory?"

By Saturday, all the preparations had been made. All it had taken was a phone call a few days earlier….

"Hello, Eleven Loveless Avenue, how may I help you?" the employee greeted him.

"Hello, yes, I'd like to make dinner arrangements for Saturday night," said Rufus.

"This Saturday?" asked the woman, "I'm afraid you'll have to make a reservation further out. We don't have any opening until-"

"Do you have private tables open?" asked Rufus, "Or are those booked as well? I know for a fact you have tables you leave open. In any case, I won't be taking up any room. I want a meal delivered and-"

"Excuse me," she said, "I'm sorry but we don't deliver. Our restaurant's menu, each course is prepared fresh -"

"But you do cater?" asked Rufus, "Just think of it as extremely small catering order. I realize the food may not be quite as fresh, but it will do for my purposes."

"I'm sorry but that simply isn't -"

"The order is under the name Shinra, Rufus Shinra," he said, ignoring the protestations.

"Oh, of course, I'll get my manager to assist you right away and I'll see what we can arrange."

That only left asking the Head Master's permission. Fortunately, once he explained his position (the assignment by Mrs. Sloane, Rufus's concern that it would be difficult for Reno to learn in front of everyone else at the school's formal dinner, and his willingness to arrange a private dinner for the purpose of instructing Reno if only he could have permission), the Headmaster had no choice but to accommodate him. Rufus was good at making logical arguments and without any reason to deny him the Headmaster had no choice but to allow Rufus to carry on with his plan. Security would have to screen the visiting wait staff, but that wouldn't be too much trouble. Rufus also suspected the Head wanted to keep Rufus's good favor; after all he was likely to be the most valuable future alumni.

When Saturday rolled around, Rufus arrived at the dining hall promptly at seven to wait for Reno. Dinner would be served to them when they returned to the room; he'd said around seven thirty just in case Reno was running late and to give him time to explain things before the first course arrived.

It was lucky he'd given himself enough time, because Reno turned up around 7:15 and headed straight for the food line.

"There you are," said Rufus. "What are you doing? I told you, you're mine tonight. I hope you've prepared."

X

The refectory echoed with annoyed voices of students lined up to grab brown bagged lunches from a weary looking lunch lady. When Reno got into line, Mani turned to explain.

"They canceled dinner so they're just giving us ham and cheese sandwiches in bags," said Mani.

"It's great," said Asher, "we can eat them outside. It's just like being out in the field. We had food like this all the time when dad took me out with his team looking for dinosaur bones. By the way, if you ever want spend a summer looking for dinosaur bones just ask. Alex said she mentioned Christmas to you, sorry if it's a bit soon for an invitation but it would be really cool to spend vacation together, we could go sledding and have snowball fights and-"

"It's really not a lot of food," said Levi from somewhere in the line behind Mani. "I'm starving!"

"Why's the kitchen closed?" asked Reno.

"Some famous chef is here using the kitchen for something, apparently he needed the whole space to work and threw everyone else out. I heard there was cussing and yelling about it," said Hugo Marques, who was, as always, right at Levi's side.

Before Reno could ask _why_ a famous chef would take over a school's kitchen, Rufus made his appearance. Reno was somewhat taken aback that Rufus thought he could march right up to him and announce that Reno was 'his', until he remembered that they were supposed to be practising etiquette before the formal dinner came around.. He should have guessed that Rufus was taking the whole etiquette teaching thing seriously when he'd been given the flashcards, but he hadn't expected to be pulled out of the refectory and ordered about in quite this way.

"I'm yours?" he asked. "What the hell's that supposed to mean, yo?"

"It means for the next four hours you belong to me," said Rufus. "I told you I'd be quizzing you. Now come on or we'll be late."

Reno had asked Mani to test him on the flash cards once or twice, but he really couldn't be sure of remembering everything. It was taking all his time just to keep up with homework - or 'prep' as everyone insisted on calling it at the academy. He followed Rufus rather reluctantly out of the refectory. "Late for what?" he asked.

"Dinner, our reservation is for 7:30, come on this way," said Rufus. He led Reno through the halls to the entry to Zolom house. "You're only allowed into other Houses with an escort," Rufus explained. He headed through the common room, and up towards his private room. After last year's incident Veld had insisted Rufus room alone with a locked door between him and the rest of the student body. The privacy would prove useful tonight. Rufus stepped up to the door and entered his five digit pin code 87364 (the door had been installed courtesy of Shin-Ra), the maids had their own code and for the night the restaurant's wait staff had the code as well. This meant the servants would have to get a new card tomorrow but it would be a minor inconvenience. In his bedroom a small table for two had been set up, a place setting of silver and china expertly laid out. Rufus looked to Reno. "Take a seat."

Reno followed Rufus into his room, trying not to show his astonishment at the security or the fact that Rufus' bedroom was the same size as the dorm he shared with Raf, Mani and Asher. Rufus' old man really did have a major issue with keeping his precious son safe, it seemed. Or was he just so rich that kidnapping was a severe threat? Reno sat down at the table, looking at the complicated place settings and trying to remember what he'd learned from Rufus' cards. "Is this for real?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "This is just to teach me that etiquette shit? 'Cause, seriously - what the fuck?"

Rufus frowned and crossed his arms for a moment. "Well...yes?" said Rufus. He took a seat, sitting up perfectly straight and setting his napkin in his lap. "I thought this would help. Better to learn now than fumble through it at the formal dinner in front of everyone. Here you can ask me questions and I can give you pointers, such as posture and not swearing. Do you want to show up Sinclair now?"

Reno sat up straighter in spite of himself. However weird this situation was, he definitely relished the idea of showing up that stuck-up bastard Sinclair. Rufus took a cloth from the table and put it over his knees. "Okay," said Reno, picking up his own - towel? "What's this? What's it for?" He almost jumped out of his seat when a man wearing black and white appeared at his shoulder and poured water into one of the glasses ranged to his right. "And who the hell's he?"

Rufus made a choking sound like he was trying not to laugh."Haven't you read any of the books I gave you?" he asked, a little bit of a laugh coming into his voice. "That's a napkin. It sits in your lap to keep food from getting on your clothes, and you can also wipe your mouth with it, like so," Rufus took the napkin and showed Reno to politely wipe his mouth. "Language," said Rufus, before breaking into a grin."Better learn now, right? Think of it as... going undercover, playing a role. He," said Rufus motioning to the waiter, "is our waiter for the evening, one of several. They bring the food, keep our glasses full and take away the plates and forks when we're finished. Have you never eaten out before - not anywhere? Do they have restaurants under the plate? You just ignore the waiters unless you need something."

Reno looked at the 'napkin' dubiously. He wasn't a baby - why should he spill anything? And as for wiping his mouth - he had hands, didn't he? To tell the truth, he hadn't had time to read any of the books Rufus had given him. He'd been quite proud of the fact that he'd run through the flashcards twice, but those hadn't mentioned napkins. "'Kay," he said, unfolding the napkin and putting it over his thighs to that it looked like some kind of weird skirt, "that's... different. And yeah - we have restaurants under the plate! Sure. You go in, you sit down, you order food. Or there're stalls, and vans, yo. Don't got no suit popping up to do stuff for you though. And ignoring the guy? That don't sound like etiquette! But okay, I can play a role. So - what? I'm pretending to be you, yeah?"

"He's working, it would be rude to distract him by talking to him. Although you can thank the staff when they bring you things," said Rufus. Another waiter appeared and set the amuse-bouche in front of them, a parmesan pannacotta, looking very much like a tiny bite sized jello mould. "Thank you," said Rufus to the waiter. "If that helps, yes, pretend to be me. So how do you get your food in restaurants under plate if there aren't waiters? Do you just pick up at the counter? What if you need your drink refilled?"

Reno looked up at the waiter who had just set a plate in front of him containing what looked like the world's smallest cake. "Yeah, cheers," Reno said, watching Rufus to see what he was going to do with it. "There's always a bar," Reno said. "You sit at it, and they give you your food when it's ready. If you want a drink you ask and get one, yeah?" Reno picked up his water glass and gulped down about half the water. His mouth was oddly dry. He really didn't like the feeling of being watched by Rufus and the waiter all the time."Whoa," he said, when his taste buds registered what he'd just drunk. "What's that? Thought it was water, yo!"

"No slang," Rufus admonished. "You're pretending to be me, remember. Thank you. Act like you have all the time in the world. Do not shorten words or phrases and enjoy the meal slowly, sip the water, and take small bites." He chose the correct fork, which was almost as tiny as the appetizer and took a bite. "I'm going to let you try things first from now on, to see how well you have cutlery memorized."

The waiter moved silently as a wutaian ninja, refilling Reno's glass before he could so much as notice.

"It is water," said Rufus. He took a small sip of his own. Yes, definitely water.

The waiter spoke for the first time. "Is it not to your taste, sir? We serve bottled water imported from a glacier on the Northern Continent, but if you'd like to switch to something else?"

Reno laughed. The waiter waited. Reno looked at Rufus, then back at the waiter. "What?" he asked. "You're not serious?"

The waiter looked confused. "I beg your pardon, Sir, I'm not sure I take your meaning?"

"From a glacier on the Northern Continent? A glacier - that's like, ice, isn't it? Like in Geography? What - this is water made out of ice from the Northern Continent? It don't - uh, I mean doesn't even taste like water, though."

"Um...what does it taste like?" asked Rufus. "It doesn't taste like anything to me, it's just... well - water."

Reno looked thoroughly confused. "I don't know. I mean, it's kind of clean - metally? Salty? Something. Not like water. Water is - you know - water. More greenish, for a start. This - you can see right through it like there's no colour at all. And it should taste more like - you know, earthy – and you know how if you drink it too fast you get that feeling at the back of your throat? Like that. But this is fine. Nice. I mean, thank you, no, I don't need anything else. Cheers. Thanks."

Rufus sighed as Reno said thanks. "Thank you," said Rufus, half thanking the waiter and half correcting Reno. "Try the food." He finished up the rest of his amuse and waited for the next course.

Reno picked up the equivalent fork to the one Rufus had used, and speared the minute cake with it, putting the whole thing in his mouth at once. Rufus had said to take small bites, but this was a small bite on its own, right? There was a kind of explosion of taste on his tongue - something that was a bit like cheese, but better, with a kind of spicy tang and a texture like a solid version of the world's best milkshake.

"Fuck, that's - Oh, no, I mean, - that's - uh - really - nice. Is there any more?"

"No," said Rufus, "the amuse-bouche is just a small bite to whet your appetite. This is a tasting menu, so you only get a small amount of each course. Take smaller bites so you can savour it. But yes, it was quite nice." He'd let the curse go, Reno had at least tried to recover.

Reno picked up his napkin and put it down again while the waiter cleared the plates. The food so far had been nice, and Rufus, while as just as bossy as Reno had expected, seemed to be taking the whole teaching thing very seriously, so Reno was doing his best to play along. It was weird though – sitting opposite one other person like this. He wasn't sure what he was allowed to say and what would be considered inappropriate. _Be Rufus_, he told himself. _What would Rufus say? _Trying to remember what they'd been taught in etiquette lessons, Reno asked, "So – um – Sacha said you're really good at playing the piano?"

Rufus' stare could have turned the water in Reno's glass back into the lump of glacier it was hacked from. "Sacha said that?"

"Yeah. I mean, yes. Why – isn't it true?"

"I was good. But I don't play any more. Sacha is – Well, it's not his business."

"Okay, got it." Reno didn't know what the hell he'd done to piss off Rufus, but it seemed that this over-the-dinner-table small talk thing was a lot harder than he'd expected. "So – what do you do for kic- uh – fun – now, then? You said your old man took you fishing?" He had to suppress a look of horror as the waiter returned with something unspeakable on a large circular plate and set it in the centre of the table between the two boys.

"Your oysters, Sirs," he said, before withdrawing to the corner of the room.

Reno lowered his voice politely, making sure to check that the waiter wasn't listening before he asked Rufus, "I know I'm not supposed to curse, but Jeez – what the fuck? Don't tell me I'm supposed to eat those, because there is no way. I'll eat the lemon. That's it."

"I take it you've never tried oysters?" Rufus said. "I know they look strange, but you shouldn't refuse something you've never even tasted. Pick up your fork."

Reno looked at the array of cutlery, and selected another tiny fork that looked almost the same as the first one. He brandished it somewhat aggressively. "I'm guessin' this one?"

"Good. But try to refrain from gestures like that. Keep the tines pointed downwards, like this."

"Rufus – I can't eat those. Are they even cooked? Are they some sort of animal?"

"They're oysters. Shellfish. And, no, they're not cooked. You eat them raw."

"Are you crazy? They look like – like _ears_. Or like someone sneezed. I ain't touchin' 'em. I'll say it however polite you want – but I ain't touchin' nothin' that looks like that. Thank you." Reno actually shuddered.

"I wouldn't say ears. Well, I could think of another...body part...but don't think about it! Once it's in your mouth you won't have to look at it anymore. Come on, you should at least try one. They're often served at formal dinners. Sinclair will think you're clueless if you don't even know how to eat oysters."

"I don't care. He can have mine. He's welcome. There is no way in Hel – no way _that_ is going in my mouth."

"It tastes good," said Rufus. Rufus lifted the shell. "Smell it, it's like being at the sea." Using his fork to loosen the oyster he tipped it back into his mouth, chewed three times and then swallowed. "It's easier just to swallow fast if you're not used to it. Think of it like drinking. These ones are aren't too big, you shouldn't gag."

Reno looked dubious. "Like the sea? I - I've seen it, on TV. I always wondered what it was like." He sniffed an oyster tentatively without picking it up, his nose nearly on the plate. "Kinda - I don't know. A bit - not like anything else. I can't think of any word for it."

"You can pick them up, you know," said Rufus, putting the red coctail sauce on one of his own oysters and squeezing the lemon. "Never lean down like that, it's impolite. Now just give it a try, tip it back into your mouth, suck it in and swallow. Close your eyes if that helps."

"I don't wanna touch it," Reno said.

"Oh for heavens sakes! You're acting like a child," Rufus reached across the table, picked up the oyster and pressed it to Reno's lips. "Open your mouth."

Reno closed his mouth firmly and shook his head, but when Rufus persisted he did as he was told just for the sake of getting the whole experience over with as quickly as possible. He opened his mouth, closed his eyes, and let Rufus pour the soft contents of the shell onto his tongue. The oyster was cool against his tongue, his flavor light and refreshing as the cool water but somewhat salty. He tilted his head back and let it slide to the back of his throat and swallowed the creamy goodness.

Rufus set the shell down. "So," said Rufus, "do you like them? If not, you can always say, 'no, thank you, I don't care for oysters.'"

"They're - good," said Reno, surprised. "I didn't think I'd like it. But why is it so cold?"

"To keep them alive," said Rufus. "You should try one with the sauce and lemon, it's nice."

"Okay," said Reno, reaching for the sauce, until the first part of Rufus' reply caught up with him. "Wait - _what_?"

"It's not safe to eat raw oysters if they're dead, so you have to keep them alive, that's what the ice is for," said Rufus, "you can cook them, but if you want them raw then they're alive. Oh don't look so worried, it's in your stomach so I'm pretty sure it's dead _now._"

Reno put his hand over his mouth. "Oh god. That's disgusting! Why didn't you tell me that before? What the fuck is the matter with you people?" He got to his feet, then sat down again abruptly. "I think I'm gonna puke."

"Drink some water," said Rufus. "I'm sorry, I didn't think it would upset you." He placed the palm of his hand over his face for a moment. "They tasted good, didn't they? Reno, what you have to understand is that life is wonderful, but it's also cruel. The trick is making sure you're the one eating, not the eaten, and being glad of it. If it makes you feel better oysters don't have feelings, so they don't mind being eaten. Waiter, I think we're ready for the next course."

Reno shook his head. "Uh uh. I'm not eating anything else unless I know what it is, yo. I mean - yeah - they might not have feelings - that's not the point. It's - they're all - alive, and - Ugh."

The waiter swiftly removed the oyster tray as another replaced them with two bowls of warm grey soup. "Cream of mushroom soup, completely vegetarian."

"You're sure?" Reno looked at Rufus, scowling. "You ain't gonna tell me there's, like, frogs in it or some shit right after I've finished?"

"Vegetarian means no meat," said Rufus. "Though honestly, what's so wrong with eating something still alive? You have to kill things to eat them, whether they die at the table or before hand, it's still killing. Just because you don't see it die doesn't mean it wasn't alive once. You asked what I do for fun, I'm actually quite fond of hunting, not as much as some, like Freya, but it's nice. Don't get me wrong. I don't enjoy killing, but I'd rather take responsibility than pretend I have no part in it because I can send someone else to do the dirty work."

Reno shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Yeah… I get what you're saying. But, I mean, the stuff they kill for food - it's all done in factories isn't it? So it's quick, and everything. I don't know - I guess I'd just rather not see it. It's like, if it has to be done, just get it over with, yeah? But - sorry. I guess that was a bit of an over reaction. Just - don't spring shit on me, kay? You're sure this soup is dead?" Reno grinned at Rufus, trying to make up for what was probably dreadful etiquette.

"Yes, Reno, the soup is dead," Rufus laughed. "Although you know, saying it like that doesn't sound very appetizing. Eating dead things." Rufus laughed again and shook his head. "But I promise, I'll be completely honest with you from now on, but you know I can't tell you things if you don't ask."

X

The minute Reno tried his soup all conversation ceased as he focused on eating, not sound except "mmms" of enjoyment and occasional comments. "It's so creamy." Indeed it was, rich and warm, and completely fish course, ironically seared tuna, brought questions. The seared tuna steak laid before them was a brilliant red. Reno didn't seem to believe this could possibly be the same type of fish as the tuna melt they'd had for lunch earlier in the week. "It's all in how it's prepared." Rufus assured him. "This is seared instead of cooked all the way through and fresh instead of canned, isn't it soft and juicy?" Rufus loved the seared tuna, the way it practically melted in his mouth. Reno seemed to enjoy as well; once again, Rufus had to remand him to slow down. "But it's fu- so very good."

Rufus was beginning to wonder whether or not the hands on table manners tutorial with real food had been a good idea. If anything, the good food seemed to distract Reno from the manners he was supposed to be observing. Rufus had put a lot of effort into this, not to mention the fact it would basically wipe all the allowance he'd saved up. All this was going to be 700 gil!

But Rufus couldn't really take himself seriously scolding Reno like Mrs. Sloane. He considered, briefly, telling Reno he couldn't have any more food if he didn't observe proper etiquette, but he'd never seen anyone enjoy something as much Reno seemed to enjoy this food. Rufus found he enjoyed making Reno so happy.

The way his eyes widened in pure delight as if shocked that anything could be so good. Even the _water_ had come as a shock to Reno. Rufus had always taken clean water for granted, but that didn't seem to be the case. Anything that tasted of earth didn't seem safe to drink and anything green certainly wasn't safe. Note to self, do not drink water while in the slums. Rufus wanted to look into it, along with the exact contents of the canned food the company sold underplate, although he doubted such inquiry would win him any points with his father.

The meat course was roast quail, the skin was crispy and golden and the meat deliciously moist. Rufus quite liked the sauce, though getting the meat off the tiny thing was a bit annoying. All the same he was very firm when admonishing Reno that he could not 'just' use his hands and instructed him to watch carefully as he demonstrated the proper way to cut the meat. Although, by the end of the night Rufus couldn't help but think Reno was right, most of the rules he was trying to impress upon Reno were pointless, but these were the rules you had to play by to be in the game.

"What game?"

"Success in life."

He wondered what it was exactly Reno planned to do after graduating. Become a professional athlete? Hopefully not, that would make convincing him to drop sports pretty tricky. He was about to ask when the waiter brought out the dessert. A chocolate soufflé dripping with thick molten fudge and a side of Banoran Vanilla Bean ice cream. They both fell silent, eyeing the dish with wanton desire. The chocolate sauce was practically overflowing but Rufus found he didn't care about the mess. He dug his spoon into the dark luscious cake, the chocolate spilled over the edge of the dish, flowing almost like blood.

Reno let out a low moan. "It's so good," and the sound was enough to make Rufus' breath catch in his throat. He looked at Reno and saw some of that sauce was now dripping from his lips and had the acute desire to lean across the table and catch it with his own mouth. Instead he said, "Oh, Reno, you have something on your lips." Instead of using a napkin, Reno licked his lips and Rufus found himself having to take a long drink of cold water. So caught off guard was he that he completely forgot to remind Reno to use his napkin.


	11. Chapter 11: Training

Chapter 11: Training

The weeks passed and soon Midterms were approaching. The carefully manicured trees that lined the park and dotted the campus had changed from green to reds and golds and the air was crisp and cool. The P.E. Department had announced they'd begin their unit on avian studies, in short, chocobo-back riding. The school had a private stables which took up a section of the park so that the stables was in between the boys' school and girls' school. It was stocked with birds owned by the school for the purpose of riding lessons.

A few stalls were reserved for students who brought their own birds. Most of the privately-owned birds belonged to some of the girls of the sort who'd requested a chocky as soon as they could ask for anything, and unlike most little girls the girls of Shin-ra Academy had parents wealthy enough to actually give them one. For some reason Mani had a bird, a gift from a lady who insisted he call her Aunty Penny, even though she wasn't related to his mum and probably wasn't related to his dad - since he had never met his dad and had no idea who his dad was...Then of course, Rufus had his own bird, an ebony black chocobo.

When Rufus took time to himself he was almost always at the stable with his bird. Not that he had much time to himself, he kept himself to a strict regimen. After all, his father would accept nothing less than perfection. It really was a shame his father wouldn't care that Rufus could easily beat Reno at a number of things, like chocobo polo. Although Rufus supposed that wasn't a fair competition since Reno had never ridden a bird in his life. Running was a fair competition, one he, unfortunately, couldn't win fairly. Fortunately, Rufus's plan to befriend Reno seemed to be going well.

Perhaps a little too well. Ever since the dinner Rufus couldn't help but feel somewhat...too aware of Reno. How his eyes sometimes seemed to change from green to blue to somewhere in between, almost like the ocean. How good his bright red hair looked against his pale skin. Logically, Reno's personality should have been so infuriating that it negated any appeal his looks had but...Rufus found he was happy when he was around Reno. Reno pushed him, annoyed him, provoked him, and yet when he was with Reno he felt almost free. Like he could simply be Rufus and nothing else mattered.

Of course, if Reno knew how Rufus really felt about him - the thoughts he'd had - well he'd probably be done with him in an instant. Not that it was of any real concern. Reno would never know. No one would ever know. Rufus would bury his feelings and once he'd gotten Reno to drop out of racing for good he'd begin to distance himself. He couldn't forget that this wasn't real, just an act. Rufus Shinra did not have friends, only tools.

There was no sense thinking about things he might have wanted were it a possibility. That only made him feel bad. As it was there was plenty to feel good about. Reno had warmed to him, tutoring lessons were proceeding...somewhat, but that was better than nothing, but their etiquette grade wasn't what really mattered. Reno was coming to see him as an ally and that was all mattered.

When the P.E. teacher had made the announcement that the next class would meet at the stables Rufus had caught up with Reno after class and invited him to meet him at the stables on Saturday if he wanted some practice with a bird. _Don't want to fall on your arse in front of everyone right?_ Rufus had teased.

Rufus had arrived at the stables first thing Saturday morning to exercise and groom his bird. There was no sign of Reno yet, but he had no doubt he'd show. If not, it was an excuse to spend more time in the barn. He loved the smell of hay and feathers and the half wild kittens that lived in the loft above the stables that sometimes came and wound themselves around his legs.

X

Reno walked across the playing fields towards the stables, taking his time and enjoying the warm sunshine. He was still unused to the feeling of sunlight on his skin, and although his lessons with Rufus had proved a lot more fun and less annoying than he'd feared at first, he was glad to have a few minutes alone for once. Reno liked other people, and he had no trouble sharing a dorm, especially with friendly Mani and the ever-enthusiastic Asher. Raphael was quieter - which was probably just as well - but he was easy-going and wasn't around too much since he was too busy sticking to Cassian like his shadow. Overall, Reno felt that he'd fallen on his feet.

Sinclair continued to make stupid comments about eating rats and other habits he pretended to believe were typical of people from the slums, but he only seemed to have two real supporters in the class, and Reno was getting better at either ignoring him or shooting him looks that were intimidating enough to shut him up. Reno's lessons with Asher were going well - the kid was a quick learner and not nearly as terrible at maths as he seemed to think he was; it was more that Asher thought he had to be perfect at everything to be a Turk and kept comparing himself to his famous scientist father. Despite the fact his dad didn't seem to care if Asher did science or not, at least from what Asher said.

Reno had never known anyone who liked their parents. Well, he loved his mum and all, but he wasn't exactly sure that he _liked_ her very much - or, at least, not when she'd been drinking, which was most of the time. Most of the kids he knew back home only had one parent, if any at all, and even if they had both a lot would rather be on street than back home with the yelling. His mum was only really happy when she had a boyfriend, but usually they didn't seem to like Reno very much, although Marco was the only one who had hit him hard. Maybe it was different up here; maybe for the rich things worked like on TV where mums and dads loved each other and doted on children like they actually wanted them in the first place? Up here there was no need to make a kid feel guilty for the cost of feeding and clothing them because there was money to spare.

Reno wondered what things were like at Asher's house. He'd been invited up for Yule, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to go. He knew he wouldn't fit in and he didn't want to be like some charity project. Not that Asher meant it like that, he was too nice for that, and his sister didn't seem too bad. But it was nice to have the offer, at least, and he hadn't made his mind up to turn it down.

In general Reno felt that things were going better than he'd dared to expect. His lessons with Asher paid enough that he was no longer afraid to buy candy in the tuck shop with the other boys, and he felt that he'd made some real friends. Even the dreaded formal dinner had passed off without much in the way of incident, Rufus' lessons having paid off, except for one potentially embarrassing moment when Mrs. Sloane had swooped down on him and reminded him, quietly, at least, that 'gentlemen use their knife and fork to eat their chips' as opposed to picking them up and dunking them in ketchup like normal people. Luckily Sinclair had been too busy holding court at the far end of the table to notice Reno's mistake - Charles Cavendish listening to Sinclair with a slightly bored expression, but Morgan and Victor hanging on his every word.

When Reno arrived in the stable Rufus was already there. He stood in front of the stall of a gorgeous jet-black chocobo.

"He yours?" asked Reno.

"Yes, this is Mr. Feathers," he said, "I was a lot younger when I named him."

"Black chocobo, that's pretty sweet," he said, "though fancy as you are I thought you'd have a Gold or something."

Rufus petted the chocobo's neck, letting his fingers interlace its silky black feathers. "My first chocobo was a Gold," he told Reno. "Father bought him for me on my tenth birthday, her name was Bright Kingdom. Stupid name, I know, she came with it since she was meant to be a race bird. Terrible idea really, giving a Gold to a child. Golds are headstrong, hard to tame and even the best trained Gold in the world can still act out. Heavens help you if one bolts while you're on its back; they're impossible to catch once they get going. Not the ideal pet, but my father insisted I should have the best and with all the riding lessons he was paying for I should be able to handle it. I would have been a failure if I couldn't. I spent every weekend out on the ranch, and spent the whole summer with my Golden. Fed him greens, brushed his feathers, ran him around the corral. It wasn't always easy, their beaks are huge, even a nip can draw blood and if one decides to kick you, well then you're really in trouble, and then there's the wings. They're small, but powerful. My bodyguards weren't exactly pleased with my father's decision to get me _that _bird. A boy his age needs a chokey, not a thoroughbred race bird. Of course, I protested, I could handle it. I wasn't a little boy. I don't know which one of us was more stubborn me or the bird."

The black Rufus was petting affectionately nipped at his hair and nuzzled its feathered face against him. He gave the bird a small smile and moved off towards the stable's door, Reno trailing behind him.

"So, did you end up ridin' the Gold?" asked Reno.

"By the end of the summer I could sleep beside him in the stables," said Rufus, "and ride him without any problem. I thought my father would be proud, but task accomplished, I needed to spend more time on my actual studies. Although he liked the idea of keeping up on Avian pursuits, after all Choco Polo is a man's sport." Rufus rolled his eyes.

"So why don't you have him now?" asked Reno.

"One day we were out riding and were ambushed by a Zolom. It was just a baby, too young to cast Omega or swallow you whole, but still as big as a dog. My chocobo spooked and took off running. I fell off and the snake was heading right for me. I might have died that day but my Golden came back for me. It hissed at the Zolom, struck at it with its feet. Took a nasty bite, but it bought enough time for my security to arrive. Tseng shot the thing right between eyes."

Reno latched onto the unfamiliar sound of the name. Surely _Tseng_ was a Wutaian name?

"Tseng?" Reno asked.

"My bodyguard," said Rufus, "well one of them, anyway."

"Right," Reno replied puzzled. "But - from Wutai?"

Rufus shrugged, he honestly had no idea where Tseng was from and hadn't pried. "I think he's from Midgar, at least, when I asked him to help me with my Wutaian he said he couldn't or maybe just didn't want to help me cheat. There's plenty of Wutaian people in Midgar, aren't there, especially in the slums? Our maids are mostly Wutaian and so was my nanny."

"No - yeah, I mean there _are_. But your old man sounds like he's shit hot on security. I'd kinda assumed he'd think it wasn't safe…"

Rufus's gaze darkened. "What are you trying to say? I've known Tseng my whole life, of course I'm safe with him."

"In case you hadn't noticed, Wutai's been doing its best to kick the shit out of us for years! There are agents - they're always finding 'em on the news. Or, at least, sometimes. And in films and shit. You know - like _Curse of Leviathan_!"

"You do realize most of that is Shin-ra propaganda," said Rufus, "Wutai didn't want a reactor, Shin-ra wants to build one so we're throwing away resources and lives that frankly aren't worth it, but hey at least we get to show off Sephiroth and sell action figures."

It was Reno's turn to frown. "Bullshit! Yeah - there's some propaganda, but - what - you're saying Wutai shouldn't have to share its mako? Because we sure as hell have to put up with enough shit to get ours. Jai - friend of mine from Under Five - his brother Jake joined up and got killed in his first battle. You saying his life wasn't worth it?"

"I'm saying his life was worth more than dying like that," said Rufus, "the whole thing could have been avoided or at least, there has to be a better way to do it. But you know, if you're so pro-Shin-ra why not join the company after you graduate. You can put me as a reference, I'll tell them how patriotic you are and everything."

"I never said I was pro _Shin-Ra_," Reno countered, with something like a sneer. "Everyone knows Shin-Ra's in it for the money. But if we have to put up with the shit we do so the planet can have mako, then Wutai should, too. And I ain't joining the infantry! I don't wanna end up dead. Leave that stuff to Sephiroth - that's what they do in SOLDIER."

"So what do you want to do, anyway?" asked Rufus.

Reno shrugged. "Dunno. Work on the plate. That's all I'm sure about."

"That narrows it down. You want to know what I want to do?"

Reno smiled. "Rule the whole fucking world, and tell everyone what to do?"

"Put an end to the war and all the waste. It's costing more money to fight than we'll get from that Reactor, for years anyway," said Rufus, "if I were in charge I'd have leveled Wutai's capital and put the emperor on his knees, quickly. If more people feared Shinra things would be easier and less people would have to die."

"Yeah, yeah," Reno scoffed. "Level the capital! What do you think Sephiroth's been trying to do for the last five years - learn origami?"

Rufus was about to retort about how Shinra should have funded Scarlet's canon project instead of SOLDIER when Reno's retort made him stop short and choke from laughter. To the point he found it difficult to breathe.

"Hey - are you okay?" Reno asked. "Wasn't that funny. You know, Sephiroth's pretty cool, really."

Rufus shrugged, "I think Tseng's cooler," he said, "because he's just a normal person but he's skilled. It doesn't matter if he's Wutain, there's no one loyaler or a better shot. Like I said, he saved my life that day."

"Okay, okay, I get it. No offence," Reno said. "So - what? This Tseng killed the Zolom, but the Zolom killed your bird?"

Rufus's smile vanished when Reno got them back on the topic of the bird, replaced by a grim acceptance. "No," said Rufus, "I did." The statement was matter of fact, but Reno could detect a hint of anger. More bitter than the glaring annoyance he'd seen when he'd questioned the Wutaian guy's loyalty, not fighting anger but carefully controlled rage over a battle already lost.

"_You_ killed it?" Reno asked, confused. "Why?"

"Its leg was hurt. We brought in the best vet money could buy; the surgery saved its leg but it would never be the same again. It would always have a limp and couldn't be ridden for very long. Father told me we were going to have it put down. I told him he couldn't do that and without meaning too wound up in tears. That's what sent my father over the edge. No son of his would cry over something as stupid as a bird. He took his shotgun, marched me out to coral, put it in my hands and told me to shoot it."

Rufus closed his eyes, fisted clenched. "Part of me wishes I'd shot him instead," he said.

Reno stared at him, not sure what to say. In the few weeks that he'd known Rufus he'd never seen him so worked up over anything. Somehow he couldn't imagine Rufus crying. "Sorry," he said, feeling awkward.

Rufus took a breath, pushed back his hair. "Don't be," said Rufus, resuming his usual calm demeanor. "Afterwards, my father lectured me about being too emotional. You can't get attached to things, it clouds your judgment and makes it harder to do what needs to be done. I can't afford to be hurt so easily."

"Yeah - but you lov - I mean, you know. Bright was - important."

"She was just a bird," Rufus laughed, a cold sound almost like weeping. "And if she was important to me, well then I was stupid. Love is such a useless emotion, and dangerous. I don't think I loved my Golden, not really, I shot him because it was what I had to do. I don't think you could kill something you love. That's why it's better not to love, it would get in the way. Now come on, enough talk, I'll show you the school's birds."

Although his instincts told him that there was something very wrong with Rufus' argument, Reno had no idea what to say about it, so he only nodded and followed Rufus over to the main stable block in silence.


	12. Chapter 12: Birthday Gift

Chapter 12: Birthday Gift

Reno wasn't quite sure why he'd decided to leave Mani and the twins playing video games on Seb's new console to check up on Rufus, but he found himself outside Rufus' door on a dull Saturday morning in late November, and almost persuaded himself that it was to see the new puppy he'd heard Morgan complaining loudly about to Charles at dinner on Thursday night. Never having had access to much in the way of technology except for what he stole, Reno didn't really see the point of the games so many of the boys seemed to spend hours playing, and anyway he found it a bit odd that Rufus had apparently ignored his birthday. Morgan had sneered something along the lines of "no one else would be allowed to keep a pet in his room - just because his father sent it for his birthday," but Rufus hadn't mentioned it at all.

After a moment's hesitation, Reno knocked on the door.

A loud high pitched bark came in response to his knock, accompanied by the the sound of tiny claws eagerly scratching at the door.

"Hush!" came Rufus's voice. A moment later Rufus Shinra opened the door, a large black guard hound puppy tucked under one arm. Its tentacle seemed too large for its body, as did its paws, and its long bat-like ears were not yet pointed so much as floppy triangles that folded over instead of standing up. It wiggled in Rufus's arms, trying to turn its head to get at his face so it could lick him.

Rufus ignored it and focused on Reno. "Oh...uh, hello," he said, pushing back his hair. "Did you need something?"

Reno looked a bit shifty. "Uh - no. I just… I heard you got a puppy." He tried not to sound as though he meant it as an accusation when he added, "And - heard it was your birthday, or something?"

"Earlier this week," said Rufus, "the twenty first of November. Father didn't even bother to call, but he had this...thing delivered." Rufus held out the wiggling ball of fur and licks. "Did you want to see it?" It began to whimper.

Instinctively Reno reached out to touch the creature, and then withdrew his hand. "It's a guard hound, right? Will it bite?" He still had the scars on his ankle from the animal that had caught him when he'd tried to escape under the fence the previous summer. It seemed a very long time ago.

"It's a puppy," said Rufus, setting it down. "It mostly licks, though it might try to chew on you." The puppy yawed and waddled over to Reno, jumping up on leg, tentacle wagging. "You know the guard hound that bit you only attacked because it was ordered to. It was well trained too, holding you down instead of shredding you."

"Yeah - great," said Reno, giving Rufus an incredulous look. "That's… comforting to know." He knelt down to stroke the puppy's head. Its short fur was very soft. "What's his name?" Reno asked.

"She doesn't have one." said Rufus, "I don't know if I want to keep her." The puppy meanwhile was still desperate to lick Reno's face and had started to purr.

"Oh - it's a she?" Reno asked, picking up the puppy and letting it lick his face. "She's so… I dunno - nice. She needs a name. You could name her after your chocobo..."

"Bright Kingdom?" asked Rufus. "She's not a race hound, besides she's hardly bright, her fur's pitch black."

"Dark Kingdom?"

"That sounds like the title of a fantasy video game."

"Well, Dark's the opposite of Bright, so what's the opposite of a Kingdom?"

"Matriarchy? Republic?"

"How about Nation? Dark Nation sounds wicked."

Rufus blinked at him. "I'm not naming her. What's the sense in that if I don't intend to keep her?"

Reno stared at Rufus, and put his hands over the puppy's floppy ears. "Don't listen to him, Dark Nation! He don't mean it - he's gonna keep you." He looked up at Rufus. "You are, right? You _wanted_ a guard hound! Why would you give her away?"

"She's the only thing I got for my birthday and father didn't know I wanted a guard hound. I've never spoken to him about it. He doesn't know me at all. Does he even realize I'm fifteen? What does he think, 'oh I'll get my son a puppy. That's the sort of thing a Dad would do'?"

Reno shook his head. "I don't get it. That _is_ the sort of thing a dad would do! Why don't you give him a break? Jeez - I wouldn't complain if I got something for my birthday…"

Rufus looked at the ground, realizing that complaining about getting a puppy in addition to a large sum of gil on top of his monthly allowance probably sounded terribly spoiled. "I wanted him to call me," said Rufus. "I don't need a puppy or money or anything. A card with a note, just something from him that showed he thought about me. That's what I want. I'm not Rufus to him, not me the person, I'm just his heir."

Reno looked unconvinced, but Rufus knew his dad, so maybe there was some kind of a problem there? "I don't know. I still think, if he got you a puppy… Don't that mean he's thinkin' about you? Look - what are you doing in your room on a Saturday, anyway? You said I should get you out of school sometime to pay for those etiquette lessons - how about now?"

X

Rufus did not look convinced when Reno tried to argue that his father really did care. He was tired of people making that argument. _He's your father, of course he cares, I wouldn't be here in his place if he didn't care._ Rufus rolled his eyes.

Then Reno mentioned getting out and his sullen look was instantly replaced with a grin. "Really?" he asked. "Best birthday ever!"

"So, you wanna go today?" Reno asked. "Like, now?"

"Why not, it is a Saturday. I'll just have to find something to do with the little bitch, and we're good."

Reno looked at Rufus, surprised by his language. "Hey, don't talk about her like that! She's a good girl, aren't you?" He couldn't resist reaching out to pet the puppy's soft head.

"You do know a female dog is called a bitch, that's what that word means," said Rufus, pushing back his hair in annoyance. "And do you want to sit here playing with her all day, or do you want to go?" He couldn't help but laugh as he said it. Reno was so cute with the puppy.

"Really? Bitch? Never knew that… Weird. And yeah, we should go. But you have to bring something to change in to. And we have to figure out the best way…" Reno hesitated to tell Rufus about the way he and Jai had cut the wire when he'd been caught. He still hadn't told anyone about Jai, and thought it was safer not to.

"Haven't you been working on that?" asked Rufus, his tone a bit more annoyed than he intended. It sounded more like reprimanding a subordinate than questioning a friend. "You agreed to this months ago. I'd thought you'd have it well in hand by now."

"Not everyone plans everything like six months in advance, yo!" Reno replied, annoyed.

"So you haven't done anything?" asked Rufus. "Right, there's no way we're getting out of here. The security is top notch. You said you could beat it, but even you couldn't do it on a lark."

"Yeah - well, depends what you mean _beat it_," Reno said, frowning. "I wasn't ever gonna crack the security systems or whatever - I know fuck all about computers. We're gettin' out over the wire, or under it. That's the only way. We just have to get out of sight of any of those cameras."

"You are aware the wires are currently electrified, yes?" asked Rufus. Of course, Rufus could have cracked the systems, he was almost sure of it, but his illicit abilities with computers wasn't something he bragged about. Besides, this was Reno's assignment. He'd said he could still get out, despite the security, and Rufus wanted to see if he could prove it.

"All we need to do is get close enough to the fence to dig under or find a way over without being seen. And yeah I know it's electrified - Seb was telling me about this chocobo that got loose and almost got fried into nuggets."

"Hmm, I hadn't realized Seb had such a penchant for wild exaggeration," said Rufus, "We won't die, just get knocked out, most likely. However, we can't risk getting caught. I think that rules out digging, holes are fairly noticeable and time consuming I'd imagine. I've never dug a hole before...how would we even dig one? Steal spoons from the refectory?"

Reno couldn't help laughing. "You've never dug a hole? You're kidding!"

"Why would I have ever needed to dig a hole?" asked Rufus. "Do I look like I garden?"

Reno looked Rufus up and down, and smiled cynically. "No - can't say you do. You look like you don't do much except sit in your room. But you do all that riding and shit, so who knows what else?"

Rufus had been primed to interrupt and protest that he did a lot more than just sitting in his room. He worked very hard at his studies, and various extra curricular activities, but then Reno continued, and he couldn't help but smile. Reno recognized that there was more to him than met the eye and was giving him credit. It was a nice feeling.

"Anyway," Reno continued, "I think over the fence is a better option. There's that hedge maze, in the gardens behind the stables, that goes up almost to the fence - and those trees by the wire grow pretty high. I was asking one of the gardeners about it - he said security wanted to cut down all the trees, but the school argued to keep the old fruit trees."

"The dumb apple trees?" asked Rufus, "Yes, they were endowed by the school as a gift from the Rhapsodos family. Genesis would have thrown a fit if he learned they'd been cut down."

"Genesis - as in the SOLDIER?"

"How many other people are named _Genesis_?"

"Why would he care about a bunch of trees?"

"Because they were a gift from his family," said Rufus. "They're filthy rich and own most of the orchards in Banora. The apples are considered a delicacy. We're not allowed to pick the ones on campus because they're only for decoration, of course."

"That's not what the gardener said," Reno told him. "The head wanted to keep those trees anyway, because he likes the apples. I reckon Genesis was just an excuse."

Rufus burst out laughing. "Really?" asked Rufus, "After telling us we weren't allowed to pick any? Then again, there wouldn't be any left if the students helped themselves."

Sometimes Reno didn't get these kids at all. "So, they tell you not to pick them, and you don't pick them? Well, I'm gonna try one if they're so special."

"I'm not sure if they're in season, the trees don't even seem to know when they're in season either, it's a bit random," said Rufus, "but if you really want to."

"So we can push through the hedge in the maze, climb one of those trees, and jump the fence. Easy."

"All right, can I borrow some of your clothes then? I don't have anything suitable, and what should we do about Dark Nation?" Rufus couldn't believe he was actually using that ridiculous name.

Reno was embarrassed to admit that he only had two changes of clothes besides his uniform. He'd just have to give Rufus the pants and t shirt he wasn't wearing, although he couldn't remember when they'd last been washed. "Okay," he said, holding out his hands for Dark Nation. "Give her to me - I know someone who'll look after her.'

X

Dark Nation didn't seem to object to being handed over to Reno, and he held her against his chest, half hidden by his black hoodie. "Good camouflage, huh, girl?" he said quietly, zipping up his hoodie over the puppy, who gave a soft whine of protest, but stilled when he put his hand against her back, through the material. "Shh," he said. "I'm taking you to meet Asher. You'll like Asher."

"I hate Asher," Rufus groaned, but if it got the dog off his hands he wouldn't complain. Then he looked at Reno and burst out laughing. "You look like you're pregnant with puppies."

"Weird in so many ways!" Reno laughed. "And how the hell can you _hate_ Asher?"

"He's privileged and annoying," said Rufus, "I'll tell you about it later, for now we need to get out of here before anyone asks too many questions."

"Kay, I'll get the clothes and some other gear we might need. Be right back."

Fifteen minutes later, Reno reappeared at Rufus' door, minus Dark Nation, but holding a small backpack. He threw some crumpled items of clothing at Rufus. "Hope these are okay. Not your usual style. Might be a bit big. And you'll have to wear this…" He shrugged out of the hoodie and handed it to Rufus, making a half-hearted attempt to brush guard hound puppy hairs off it first. "Your hair's too visible, and too… like a rich kid."

Rufus nodded, although he had no idea what 'like a rich kid' meant. Probably _clean._ "Good thinking, thank you," he said, taking the clothes and changing. It didn't matter that Reno was in the room, it wasn't like they hadn't had to change out in front of each other in gym.

"So, Asher was happy to have Dark," Reno said, trying not to notice that for all his smaller stature, Rufus was actually fairly athletic under all those layers he always wore. "I thought he was gonna explode or something. He'll look after her."

Reno wasn't sure why he felt awkward while Rufus was getting changed, but he found that he didn't quite know how to act or where to look. It was weird - he didn't spend a lot of time feeling self-conscious, so why was he suddenly worried that he was going to do something stupid like _blush_? Just because he could tell the difference between a good-looking guy and a not good-looking guy - that didn't mean anything, right? Jai was good-looking, and they'd spent most of their time together, and so what? Nothing unusual about it. Nothing - _gay_. Look what had happened with Wanda, that time she'd got all up-close after the head had told her about the scholarship. And those twins were hot. And Vivien. Yeah. Nothing to worry about on _that_ score.

"How friggin' long can it take to put on _two _things?" Reno demanded as Rufus brushed down the crumpled hoodie and checked his reflection in the mirror. "Are you ready yet?"

"Yes," Rufus replied, raising an eyebrow at Reno's impatient tone.

"Good," said Reno, leading the way out of the room. "Then, let's go."

X

When they reached the tree, Reno climbed it a running start, ascending as effortlessly as a cat. Rufus couldn't help but admire that, though he was sure he could pull himself up well enough. He'd let Reno go first and follow whatever path he took. The tree shook from their weight, spilling a few blueish purple apples onto the ground.

Reno picked two of the odd-looking fruit and threw one to Rufus. When Reno bit into his apple, he closed his eyes for a moment. "Yeah - that's really - We don't get apples like this under the plate." He edged out along the curved limb of the tree, until he was level with the razor wire on top of the fence below him.

"Do the apples come in cans too?" Rufus asked, catching the apple. He took a bite, enjoying the sweet, crisp flavor. It felt nice, helping himself to something he wasn't supposed to touch.

"Yeah, in cans. Not much of anything grows under the plate." Reno devoured the rest of the apple, core and all, and wiped his hands on his jeans. "We have to jump out, to clear the wire. Don't get further along the branch than I am now - it's already bending a lot."

Reno edged as close to the wire as he dared, let go of the tree altogether, and launched himself over the fence, landing several feet clear, rolling neatly back onto his feet. "It's fine," he called up to Rufus. "Just make sure to roll away from the fence!"

Rufus nodded, though he couldn't keep his eyes from drifting to the razor wire. If he messed up, this would...not end well at all. He tried not to think about it. A Shinra was not afraid. Besides, Reno had made it look easy enough. Rufus took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and jumped, landing in a heap on top of Reno.

"Ow! Holy _fuck_, Rufus!" Reno yelled, as Rufus knocked all the breath out of him. It seemed as though Rufus was winded too - at any rate, he didn't say anything, as Reno attempted to push him off. "You know - you're pretty heavy," he gasped.

Rufus sat up so he was more straddling Reno than lying on top of him. "Sorry," he said looking down on him.

Reno met Rufus' eyes for a moment, then turned his head to the side, shoved Rufus off him more violently than was strictly necessary and got to his feet, muttering, "Shit. All this space, and you couldn't land somewhere else?"

"I said I was sorry," said Rufus, crossing his arms, "which is more than I owe you considering it was an accident." Though Reno had seemed more angry at Rufus for being on top of him. Was contact with him really that disgusting? Maybe, and maybe he should have felt disgusted to touch Reno but didn't because he was a freak.

Reno brushed imaginary dirt off the knees of his jeans and didn't look at Rufus as he said, "No - it's okay. Didn't know if you'd even jump." He looked around, getting his bearings. The garden was more or less opposite the school's main entrance, so to get to the sewer he'd always used with Jai they'd have to make half a circuit of the grounds, keeping well away from the fence and the many security cameras positioned around the perimeter.

"Of course I jumped," said Rufus, "I'm not afraid."

"No," said Reno. "You're really not, are you? Come on - we need to get away from the fence." Choosing a side street at random, Reno walked rapidly away from the school.

Rufus followed along beside him, keeping pace, until at last they came to a stop in front of a sewer entrance. Rufus looked at Reno. "You're not serious." He brought his hand to his forehead and rested his fingers there a moment.

Reno already had the drain cover off, and was sitting on the edge of the hole, his feet dangling into the darkness below. He grinned up at Rufus. "What did you expect? You wanted to go under plate…"

Rufus made a disgusted sound. "But it's filthy and infested with monsters," he said. He stopped himself, he could picture Tseng lecturing him so clearly that he was beginning to sound like him. This was a bad idea, if Tseng knew about this he would tell him exactly how and why this was a horrible idea, but well, what choice was there? "This is going to ruin my shoes." Rufus finished, gesturing for Reno to lead the way. "And if we get mako poisoning or something, I'm holding you accountable."

Reno laughed. "Yeah - whatever. Your shoes need some ruining - anyone looks at them too carefully, they'll see you ain't from under. And we never met any monsters -" Reno stopped, cursing himself, hoping Rufus hadn't noticed the slip. "Few old Kimara bug nests, but I never had to kill one up here. Underside it's another story. Give me a couple seconds after I drop. Try not to land on me this time." Reno slid into the hole, and vanished.

_We_, who else had been with Reno on his little excursions? He'd remember that in case he could make use of the information later. "Call when you're ready," said Rufus, "do you have a flashlight or something?"

"Pull the cover over as far as you can," Reno called. "and then jump!" When Rufus had landed safely beside him, he added, "Don't need a flashlight here. Should be just -" There was a click and a series of electric lights flickered into brightness. "Shinra likes to keep the plate sewers nice and bright, anyway," Reno commented.

Rufus did as he was told, and managed to land gracefully this time, keeping his knees bent. "Ah yes, they must send employees down here to do repairs and clear out the monsters."

Somehow, Reno had a long-bladed knife in his hand. "Like I said, there aren't usually any monsters. But if we see any, keep behind me. The small bugs shouldn't be a problem. It's not far - three levels, and a long climb.

"Where did you get that?" said Rufus.

Reno looked back at Rufus. The greenish glow of the mako lamps gleamed along the knife blade. "Kitchen. Old Sloane would have a fit though - fucked if I know what sort of knife it is! I was going for _sharp_. Don't worry though - any monsters we meet up here will be small enough for me to kill."

Rufus felt an uncomfortable pang of attraction at his words. He looked good with a knife. He gave him a smirk. "Clever."

They made their way through the sewers. Although the paths were wide and well maintained, the lamplight fell in pools, and it was easy to stumble in the shadows. There was little sound apart from the echo of their footsteps and the quiet murmur of running water. When they reached a junction, Reno froze for a moment, listening intently. Rufus heard a faint hissing sound.

"Kimaras," Reno whispered, "but a long way off. We'll be fine. Let's go." He looked back at Rufus, a bit doubtful. "We have to go through the water here. Your shoes…"

Rufus gave him a look. "Isn't there another way? That's...that's sewage."

Reno looked at Rufus. "Well - yeah. It's a _sewer_. There isn't another way - not if you want to go underplate. They didn't design the sewers for that - the levels don't connect. We have to cross this flow to get to the maintenance ladder. But if you wanna go back -"

Rufus continued to stare at the water. "It's _sewage_."

"Oh c'mon, Rufus - quit being such a wuss. It's, like, ten feet."

Rufus pulled his shirt up to cover his mouth and waded into the water, trying not to think about it. "This place is a maze," he said.

"It's okay when you get used to it," Reno said, reaching the other side of the flow of water and other things, and climbing out onto the raised walkway. "The ladder's here. It's a short climb. I'll go first and find the lightswitch on that level." Reno climbed down into the darkness.

Rufus watched where he'd gone, staring into the utter darkness of the abyss. Far off he thought he heard hissing and the scraping of feet over steel. Rufus had gone too far to turn back now. It was fine, as long as they got home before getting caught...although he wasn't quite sure how they were going to sneak back into the school. For now, it seemed best to worry about getting through the sewers before anything else caught them.


End file.
